Little Blossoms
by underastarlessnight
Summary: Sequel to Little Criminals; A lot had changed in three years. Betty Cooper, having embraced her Serpent cover name and lifestyle is now twenty years old. But what hasn't changed is finding her Serpent siblings, finding him and bringing them back to their parents and wiping out the Blossom's once and for all. And Betty was nothing if not driven to do just that, whatever the cost.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue.

If he was at all empathetic, Archie would have cried for her. He would have fallen to his knees next to her writhing body, and tried to stop the bleeding as best as he could, ripping off his jacket to stifle the flow of red, the vein of crimson spread around the girl, staining cheap linoleum. KJ Andrews, the son of Fred, wouldn't have rested until he had saved the girl, pulling her from a death that had already been fixed in time, already inevitable, as she choked on her own blood spilling through ruby lips, breath thinning. And with a fierce determination, he would battle to keep his Serpent sister alive.

But it was far too late for that, and Archie wasn't exactly himself anymore. Instead of staring down at her with contempt, his character riddled with agony and grief that he couldn't save her, his expression was blank, wiped clean of anything remotely human, anything and everything that had made him a Serpent kid was gone.

Archie was no longer a teenager, those last three years, his eighteenth, nineteenth and ultimately twentieth, stolen from him. A boy in the early stages of adulthood and dressed in a tight black shirt and jeans, he was taller, strands of dark red hair washed over a much paler forehead, the ghost of freckles still speckling his cheeks, and the slight graze of stubble under his chin. He was stiff, looming over her body, legs crooked slightly, waiting for her to stop fighting. In his demeanour there was no anger or disgust, like the first time he was taken and brainwashed for a whole year, turning him against his own father. This was a different type of blank. His steely eyes held no life, light or emotion. And yet, looking into them, and seeing past the empty cavern of nothing, you would feel somehow compelled by an unknown force to give yourself up right where you stood. Even if you were a good fighter, even if you could single handedly take down a grown man in seconds. Because Archie was a thousand times stronger.

And he wouldn't take mercy.

She was the last one to fall. Her family lying around her in a growing pool of crimson. The once spreading red stain had become brown and dry as the minutes ticked by with the beat of her racing heart. But she refused to die, was still clinging desperately onto her dwindling breath, and he was hovering, waiting to finally announce his most important kill. Archie didn't move. He only stared down at her trembling form locked into the fetal position. His fingers flexed, dark eyes narrowing, waiting for sudden movements.

If the girl's eyes were to flicker open as she lay there, teetering on the edge of life, she might have caught the slight glimmer of electric blue, sparkling light, a blink and you'll miss it moment, reflecting in pupils that were so dark, she might as well have been staring into a pitch dark night. Once upon a time those very eyes gazed at the sky in a bitterly cold alleyway, wishing for stars, and when there were stars, he tried to name constellations from memory, but only got as far as Gemini, Orion and Pisces before drifting into freezing slumber. Street life had been cruel to him at such a young age, and as the eldest in his very small family, he made an unspoken promise to protect his little brother and sister. So he only stargazed on the night's they had full bellies, and the vicious Toledo wind wasn't trying to uproot their makeshift cardboard home.

There had been something incredible about Archie's eyes, once upon a time. Before and after he received his cover name. They were a deep, earthy brown - the color of the earth after torrential rains. But there was something else in them, something glistening. Something playful, mischievous. Warm. But dark. So incredibly dark, a blackness that had been drilled into him since childhood, consuming his body and mind since he stumbled into Hiram Lodge's house at ten years old, skinny and starving, still dripping pool water. Archie was a Serpent child, so of course he wasn't at all innocent. But what Clifford Blossom didn't know, was that Archie and his siblings had grown up with kindness, a childhood that wasn't quite healthy- considering the brutal training regime- but despite being a conditioned killer, Archie, or KJ Andrews, was a good person.

That was past tense, however. Fred Andrews had brought up his son to be strong willed both physically and mentally. But also, what made KJ who he was, caring, enigmatic and maybe a little childish, was because he had a father who smothered him with all the warmth and kindness that had been absent from his life, finally gifting him with a father figure. But three years later, that boy no longer existed. In his place was a soldier, a Blossom prince built and programmed to kill without emotion, without the pain and guilt that would normally hit a human being. All of that, along with his free will and power to think freely, had been cruelly snatched away from him, leaving a shadow in his place.

The girl was awake. He knew that. She was playing dead, and in Archie's book, that was worse than fighting him. The church was derelict, had been for a decade now, the building serving as a safe haven for the homeless...or crackheads. The chase hadn't been hard, and he'd spotted the girl, and her Serpent brothers and sisters weaving through alleyways, no doubt looking for him and his siblings. Veronica had easily taken out the others, butchering them in seconds flat without breaking a sweat. Archie however, had to play a bit more dirty with the Serpent girl. She was a lot stronger than he'd initially thought.

In the dying light cast through the stained glass ceiling, Archie finally squatted in front of the girl, cocking his head, waves of red hair falling in his eyes. When he moved his hand to sweep it out of his face, a manacle, a thick dark brown thing encircling his wrist, twining around his arm and creeping under the cuff of his sleeve flashed into view. In Clifford Blossom's eyes, the tattoo was beautiful. In anyone else's however, it was a branding, a symbol of entrapment in place of the boy's beloved Serpent marking that had once coiled around his wrist, now only detectable through a scar you had to squint to see.

The girl was still breathing. Her chest rising and falling slowly. She looked almost angelic, golden ringlets hanging in closed eyes, a face so pale you might mistake her for a fairytale character. His knife was still buried in her chest up to the crystal hilt, her black leather jacket sticky with blood very quickly diffusing through her shirt. He'd been waiting for her to die from the wound itself, but perhaps he might have to get a little creative. Leaning forward, he wrapped his fingers around the knife and twisted once, releasing a startled screech through the girl's lips. She didn't open her eyes, choosing to keep them squeezed shut, her body thrashing. The knife hadn't completely penetrated her, but it had hit vital organs, very possibly puncturing her lungs which explained the blood coating her teeth and lips when she cried out once more.

But she wasn't giving up, and if Archie was allowed to feel annoyance or anger at the girl, he might have curled his lip or scowled. But his expression stayed completely passive, monotone, as, with one swift pull, he yanked the blade out of her chest, unfazed when the jagged edge slipped cleanly back through mutilated skin, bone and muscle. This time she didn't scream. The blonde only opened her mouth, as if about to, before it snapped shut, her head lolling to the side. Archie watched blood flow from her once more, blossoming across her torso, before her chest went still. After a moment he pulled out a handkerchief with practised movement, swiftly wiping the teeth of the knife clean.

"Is it done?"

The low voice came from his sister Veronica, formally Camila Lodge, who was standing over him with her arms folded across a perfectly pressed blouse. Like Archie, Veronica had also grown up fundamentally over the years of their time being slowly groomed into Blossom royals. Her hair was longer, a cascade of shimmering obsidian running down a smooth, olive back. Her eyes glinted like emeralds, but there was no longer the sparkle that made her a Serpent present in her eyes, or anything in that matter. She was as expressionless as her brother as she relayed the question. Archie didn't answer for a moment, his attention on his knife.

"Archie," she said again. There was no impatience. No irritation, just a robotic drawl rolling from her tongue. She simply repeated his name because he was yet to answer her question. As a Serpent, she would flick him on the nose or nudge him playfully. But now, all Veronica did was stare at her brother, waiting for a response.

"Is the Serpent dead?" Veronica peered down at the girl, raising a perfectly plucked brow.

"Yes." Eventually, Archie straightened up, slipping the blade back into his jacket pocket, before kicking the motionless girl. "Yes, she is dead."

Veronica nodded. "Father will be proud."

"Let's go," Archie said, adjusting his jacket and fully turning back to look at his sister. When he met her gaze, she cocked her head slightly. "He is waiting in the car for our return."

Nothing else needed to be said after that. Archie and Veronica fell into step as they made their way out of the house and into the darkened streets. Archie's gaze flicked over his surroundings, searching for movement in the shadows, but finding none. Not that he was worried. The weight of the knife in his pocket was comforting, and even if the knife wasn't an option, Archie was confident that he'd be able to handle any situation that came his way. He might have had extensive training with the Serpents, but as Clifford Blossom's son, as his thorn, an extension of his arm, a weapon, he was groomed and trained to utter perfection.

A black SUV was parked just down the street, it's lights off, the windows tinted. The only indication that it belonged to them was the lone figure that stood against the vehicle. Archie and Veronica made their way towards it and, as they made their way closer, Archie felt a silent presence loom up behind him. But he didn't lash out, didn't reach for his weapon, because he already knew who it was, had been expecting it.

"Did you kill the Serpent whore and her family like you were supposed to?" Jordan asked, his voice low in the quietened street.

"Yes," replies Archie, keeping his gaze straight, locked on the black SUV getting closer and closer with each step.

"I knew you had it in you,." Jordan murmured, and Archie knew that his bodyguard was grinning ferally, like an animal with no sense of right or wrong.

Just as they were walking up the path to the car, the passenger side window rolled down, a head emerging from inside the vehicle. Archie cocked his head as he watched his brother casually fold his arms over the side. His hair matched the colour of the SUV and the surrounding darkness, only the brightness of his blue eyes and the paleness of his flesh illuminated. The boy, his only brother, had tattoos covering his bare arms, roses that appeared like smoke and shadow in the night. The sight of them caused a sense of pride to resonate through Archie, but it was gone a moment later, replaced by nothing. The tattoos were black and grey, curling up his brother's arms and disappearing into his shirt. Archie knew their extent reached further than that, and he also knew that they incited fear in their enemies. As they should, being their father's symbol of hope and of new beginnings.

Archie also knew that that was why Jughead hadn't been permitted to join Archie and Veronica in the honour of removing more snakes from their territory.

"Did you get the job done?" Jughead asked. But no sooner had the words left his mouth did the figure leaning against the side of the vehicle push off and turn around.

"Get your head back in the car," the figure, Reggie, barked. There was no hesitation in Jughead when his head disappeared back inside, as there shouldn't have been. As Jughead's bodyguard, he had full control over his brother's movements. "The hell is wrong with you, kid?"

Reggie opened the car door and held it open for Archie and Veronica to get in, but before either could, Clifford Blossom, their father, leaned forward, the look on his face displeasing. Beside him, Archie could feel Veronica tense slightly. Even Jughead crawled into the very back, knowing all too well to keep silent.

"Did you wear your jackets the entire time?" he demanded, eyes flashing in disappointment.

"Yes, father," Veronica answered. Clifford growled, and it was Archie's turn to tense up. He ran through in his mind what they possibly could have done wrong? No-one had seen them entering the house, no-one had gotten a hold of their phones, so they couldn't have called for help. But Clifford wasn't upset about that. Archie furrowed his brow, confusion only slightly visible on his otherwise emotionless face.

"Are you children ashamed of your tattoos?" The sound of utter disappointment in their father's had Archie straightening. Archie watched through expressionless eyes as Clifford reached into the backseat where Jughead was sitting and grabbed his wrist, pulling him until his arm was hanging over the back of Clifford's seat, in the line of sight for Archie and Veronica to see. His eyes once again too in the sight of the roses, shrouded even more in shadow than they had been when the boy was hanging out of the window of the SUV. "Do you know what these represent?"

"Yes, father," Archie and Veronica both said at the exact same time, using the exact same tone in the exact same way. Like robots. Like being completely devoid of all thought and feeling. Because that's exactly what they were.

"It means," Clifford continued on, as though they hadn't spoken, "you're mine. Take off your jacket, Archie. Veronica, roll up your pant leg."

And they moved without thinking, both of them shrugging off their jackets, Veronica rolling up her pant leg exclusively, without a moment's hesitation, because Clifford gave them an order, and they followed their orders. When the thorns flecked with blood and grime was revealed and Veronica's vines crawling up her leg were visible, both fixed their gazes back on their father, awaiting further instruction. He nodded, satisfied.

"I marked you all separately, because you each mean something different to me. Regardless of that, these marks are on honour, are they not?" Clifford raised a brow, looking between Archie and Veronica, his thumb running over a petal on Jughead's wrist. The boy looked like he didn't even notice. "I never want to see your tattoos concealed. Ever. They are a badge to all who look at them that you belong to me and only me. And whoever tries to take you will die horrifically. Do you understand?"

"Yes, father," they replied once more.

"Good." Leaning forward, his face partially cast in light from a nearby lamppost, Clifford asked, "Are they dead? All of them?"

"Yes." Archie answered, nodding his head once in affirmation.

An almost manic grin crossed their father's face, the bottom part of his face illuminated, the rest in darkness. But even still, his light eyes twinkled in mirth. "Did you make them suffer? The blonde especially?"

"Of course," Archie said. "Per your instructions, they were made to see the error in their ways and were properly dealt with. The Serpents are dead."

"Very good, children. You've made me proud tonight." Clifford ignored the fact that the three of them were on the cusp of twenty years old, because really, in his mind, they were still seventeen. He leaned back in his seat, his hold of Jughead's wrist releasing, and the boy leaned back in his seat, hands folding into his lap. "Get in. It's time to go home."

Reggie moved forward and adjusted the seat, allowing Archie and Veronica to crawl into the very back. The three of them were pressed shoulder to shoulder, their hands folded into their laps, and if they were uncomfortable in any way, nothing was said. Without an order given, they stared straight ahead, eyes devoid. The seat was pulled up, Reggie slipping into the place beside Clifford, while Jordan and Ashleigh got into the front of the car, the former behind the wheel. The only slight motion was from Jughead, his hands, once folded calmly in his lap, slowly clenched, the nails biting into flesh. And still, Archie, Veronica, and Jughead remained as they were. Motionless. Vacant.

Gone.

"Find me, Lili. Whatever he does to me-"

"Find me."

Gone.

* * *

Kicking her door closed with her foot, Lili Andrews ran the towel over her face, wiping away the perspiration that was coating her pale skin. She felt good, really good, but she knew she'd be feeling the effects of her work-out later. Yeah, Lili knew she should have probably spaced out some of her sets, knew that doing arms and legs in one day wasn't the greatest of ideas, but her mind had been a jumble of thoughts and ideas, and she needed to find a way to clear the white noise before coming back to the problem at a different angle. Because that was everything. The mission. The only assignment she would allow herself to be on. A part of her felt guilty for that, for refusing everything else, because she knew the Serpents were stretched thin and could use her help, but Lili couldn't … she couldn't see how anything else mattered.

Sitting down at her desk, Lili wiped her face one more time before tossing the damp towel to the ground. She leaned back in her chair and sighed heavily. There were thirty-eight months tacked to her wall, each lined up evenly, spaced out perfectly, with an ex marking out each day. Three years and two months. That was how long KJ, Cole, and Camila had been gone. That was how long they had been taken away from her – from Fred and FP – and made into mindless puppets by Clifford Blossom. If Lili wanted to get specific, they had been gone for three years, two months, three weeks, and six days. The hurt didn't get any easier. The pain of the loss. The pieces of her that had been ripped away and left bare due to their absences. It didn't help that Lili was being told she was searching for a needle in a haystack, that her search was only prolonging her suffering. They weren't going to be found and she should just let it and them go.

But … how could she do something like that? And how dare she be told that when her father wasn't doing any better? He thought he was being sneaky, Fred Andrews, but Lili had ears and her room wasn't far from KJ's. Late at night sometimes, she could hear his quiet footsteps walk past her room and go to KJ's. She could hear him opening the door and stepping inside before quietly closing the door. She never made mention of it to him and Fred never brought it up, but Lili knew that he slept in there sometimes. KJ was Fred's son, and no matter how many times he begged her to stop fixating on finding them, because it was a lost cause, she knew that he wasn't moving on. There was a tiredness to him that was etched into the lines on his forehead. He moved slower, and the smile that had once easily graced his face was seen few and far between.

It was hard to see, and Lili knew FP wasn't any different. The man barely slept, and the last time she had openly went into Cole's room, he had almost snapped her head off, blurting out that his room needed to remain exactly how he left it. Cole was a very neat person, and he would know if something was moved or touched. Lili knew the exact moment FP realised what he said, because his face paled and his eyes watered instantly, and he had quickly turned around and walked away. She didn't see him until days later, and he looked haggard and worn. At night, she knew FP sat himself on a window bench in the library. That was one of Cole's favourite places in the house. He would go in there when he wanted a moment alone, and FP sat himself there almost every single night with a pillow propped against his back and a blanket covering his legs, and Lili knew he was waiting, hoping against hope that he'd see Cole walking toward the house, even though he knew it wasn't going to happen.

She would be lying if she wasn't hoping for the exact same thing. Because when she closed her eyes, she could still remember that night. The tears in his bright blue eyes when he finally remembered her, the way he reached out and touched her face, and Lili had always wondered if he could see anything different in her. She hadn't seen him in a year at that point, and he had seemed different to her, too. Did she look stronger to him? Or did she look the same? Had she matured a little in that year? Had her muscles defined any in the year of training she'd had while he was with Clifford Blossom? But most of all, when Lili closed her eyes, she could still remember what it felt like when Cole closed the distance between them and kissed her. The warmth of his breath, the way his long, dark eyelashes tickled her cheeks, the pressure of his lips against hers. The happiness she felt. The weight of his arms and how safe she felt when he pulled her closer.

Lili shook her head and let out a shaky sigh, angrily brushing away the tears that had slipped from her eyes. She was done crying, done mourning. They were wasted emotions, because they weren't dead. Lili would know if they were. Clifford Blossom hadn't taken them to kill them. He's taken them to control them, and Lili knew that that was exactly what he was doing. She didn't necessarily know how. She was still confused about that night. The startled, shocked look on Camila's face after she shot Hiram, her own father, battled against the glee that pulled at her lips. The way KJ fought Fred, a knife clenched tightly in his hand. He was aiming to kill, but the way his voice shook when he had begged Fred to kill him, because the thought of hurting his own father was enough to make him wish for death. And Lili couldn't forget the confused, fearful look on Cole's face when he pressed a gun to her head, the barrel shaking against her temple as he struggled to put it down while he seemed to be fighting – and losing – a battle within himself to keep it up.

No, Lili mused. Clifford Blossom had done something to them, and she was determined to figure out what exactly.

Standing up, reaching her arms high above her head to stretch out her muscles, Lili made to move away from her desk. She needed to shower and then she planned on another all-nighter, sat at her laptop. Clifford had many allies in the area, and if she could find out exactly what they were up to, it might bring her closer to finding KJ, Camila, and Cole. But it was as she was moving away from her desk that her green eyes found a few pamphlets stacked neatly at the corner. For just a moment, Lili stared at them, not necessarily computing what they actually were or what they meant, but after several seconds passed and the words on the first pamphlet registered with her, Lili felt rage consume her, a red-hot sensation that instantly caused her cheeks to flush pink and her hands to ball into tight fists. And before she was even aware of what she was doing, Lili had snagged the stack and was out of her room, the door smacking against the wall with a loud thud as she made her way down the corridor and down the stairs. She found Fred in the kitchen by the stove, pouring hot water into a mug.

"What the hell is this?" demanded Lili as she threw the pamphlets onto the kitchen table, uncaring that some of them slid across the table and fell onto the floor. Her ire grew all the more when Fred didn't even acknowledge her. "Dad!"

"It's exactly what it looks like, Lili," Fred replied after a moment, turning around only when he was satisfied with his coffee. The aroma was sweet and rich and it filled her nostrils, but Lili pushed it away – just as she pushed away how ragged Fred looked with his wrinkled clothes and tired eyes.

"Yeah! It's college!" She waved her arms around, an incredulous look on her face, because where the hell did the idea of college even come from?

Fred nodded his head and sat down, gently stacking the remaining pamphlets that hadn't hit the floor into a neat stack before cupping his coffee mug. "Yeah, it's college," he repeated, sounding far more calm and relaxed than Lili was feeling. Her heart was pounding so loudly; she could hear it in her ears. "You're twenty years old, and have already missed two years because of your-" he trailed off. "You're at that age where it's time to start looking at college, find out what fits your interests."

"My –" Lili started, but she found herself cut off. "What are you even talking about? College is the farthest thing from my mind right now."

"I know. That's why I put the pamphlets in your room. If you see them, you can start thinking about what you want to do with your future."

Everything he was saying sounded logical and reasonable, but Lili couldn't wipe the shocked, outraged expression from her face. She felt like an idiot for how her mouth continuously opened and closed, her mind a jumble of thoughts and emotions, but the words just weren't coming out, like they were stuck at the tip of her tongue. And Fred just sat there with a calm, patient look on her face, waiting for her to get control of herself. She shook her head, like that would somehow put her thoughts into order before planting her hands firmly on the surface of the table.

"They're still out there." And her words, finally vocalised, summarised exactly what she was feeling. Those four words had the power to shake the very foundation of Fred's composure. He pursed his lips and looked down, and Lili watched, baffled, as he swallowed thickly before clearing his throat. "Dad, they're –"

"I know," Fred interjected, interrupted whatever else she was going to say – not that Lili knew what they were going to be. She could barely keep up with what little had been said so far. "I know they are, honey. But … they're ghosts. Clifford Blossom has them under lock and key and we haven't found anything for three years."

Lili felt her throat tighten at his words. Yeah, she was well-aware of the fact that they hadn't a single thread of information to go off of. She was well-aware that KJ, Camila, and Cole were out there somewhere, completely lost to her, but to have those things verbally confirmed to her, to hear her own father say it … it almost sounded like he had given up, that he was losing his faith. Lili recoiled, flinched back, and she stumbled a few steps away from the kitchen table, not that Fred seemed to notice. He was staring at one of the pamphlets, a thoughtful, faraway look on his face.

"KJ had always wanted to go to college. The kid had no idea what he wanted to do, but he always dreamed of going to college, stay in a dorm, be normal for a change." He fell silent for a moment, one of those rare smiles slowly forming on Fred's tired face. "He'd always said he'd pick a college close to home, so he can drive back after classes and stay for the weekend. Drive back to college early Monday morning."

"I'm not …" Lili began, but she trailed off when she heard how wobbly and broken her words sounded. Her green eyes flickered from her father to the pamphlet Fred was staring at, tears building, causing her vision to blur.

"I know you want to find and bring them home," Fred said, looking up. His eyes were warm and intense, and Lili found herself unable to look away. "I know you miss them. But … it's been three years. I know the world feels like it's stopped, but it's still going on all around us. I don't want your life to be wasted on something that might not happen."

This time, Lili did nothing to stop the tears from falling down her face, did nothing to stop the broken sound that slipped past her lips. She didn't know if it was a cry or a whimper, but it sounded suspiciously like both. "You've lost faith." She shook her head, like she couldn't even fathom believing it. "You don't think we'll find them."

Fred was moving before she could even process it, and even though she was angry and hurt, even though what he was doing was against everything she wanted in that moment, Lili found herself clinging to Fred as he wrapped her in his arms and squeezed her tightly. She found herself crying into the plaid of his shirt, silent tears that instantly soaked the fabric. But she knew Fred didn't care.

"I haven't given up. I never will," he whispered against her temple. Lili let out a shuddering breath. "I just don't want you to lose sight of a future you could have. College. A better life. Can you at least promise me you'll think about it?"

She didn't know what kind of response Fred was hoping for her, but he didn't push her to say anything when Lili remained silent. Because he already knew her answer. He was only trying to protect her from the possibility of losing KJ, Camila, and Cole - or their real names- Archie, Veronica and Jughead- forever.

* * *

Before.

The night was dark with not a cloud in the sky. It was unusually bitter for the middle of March. Cole's shoulders were hunched as he moved down the street, a few pieces of chicken wrapped in a clean enough looking napkin. It had gone to show just how much time had passed since the last time he had to fend for himself and his siblings, because the idea of eating the chicken repulsed him, but it was for survival, and Cole was honestly surprised to find that he was able to slip back into old ways after so many years with -

The thought was immediately cut off, and Cole forced himself to bring away the tears that started forming in his eyes, because he couldn't think about FP, couldn't think about his father whom he'd pointed a gun at just a few hours before. He couldn't think about his two uncles, the ones that were left behind - one unconscious on the kitchen floor and the other gone from this world entirely. But they were the whole reason for why they had run, for why they were back on the streets again. There was a slight rumble of thunder, and that was the only warning Cole got before the sky seemed to open up. Fat droplets of water rained down on him, quickly soaking him through his clothes, and Cole hunched his shoulders all the more as he quickened his pace, trying to preserve the chicken as much as he could, under his sweatshirt. Taking a left at the next corner, Cole scrunched up his nose against the scent of dumpster and something else he really didn't want to label.

When he got to the end of the alley, he ducked under the flimsy pieces of cardboard they were using as cover, and sank down onto his knees, his eyes taking in the exhausted forms of his siblings. "I found some chicken," he said after a moment, ignoring how not hungry they looked. "We should eat something, and yes, I mean dumpster food." his lips formed a crooked smile, but it was only to mask the fact that he was goddamn terrified.

"Just like old times, right?"

KJ's head snapped up, the ratty blanket that had been draped over him and Camila slipping from his shoulders. His brown eyes narrowed into slits. "Eat?" he said softly, then louder, making Cole wince slightly. He was rolling a sharp looking rock around his hand, his breathing sharp, coming out in panicked gasps. Cole had seen his big brother upset and angry, but this was a whole other level. The redhead looked the most dishevelled out of the three of them, his red hair a tangled mess over tired eyes, pale cheeks splattered with dirt after he'd tripped over himself, landing headfirst in a garbage bag abandoned on the alleyway. Cole would have laughed- if it was a totally normal situation. Because regardless of how KJ has hit the ground, skinning the left side of his face, it definitely looked like something you'd see on a cartoon.

Cole stepped back a little when KJ straightened up, still grasping the rock like his life depended on it. "How the hell can you expect us to eat?" KJ hissed like a snake, and Cole secretly revelled in it. That's what he was- what all three of them were; Serpents. And nobody could take that away from them.

Swallowing thick, Cole placed the bundle of chicken down to the side, making sure it was covered completely by the rain. "Put the rock down, before you hurt yourself." Reaching over, Cole curled the blanket that had fallen from KJ's shoulders and wrapped it entirely around Camila. Tears were streaming down her face and she had a faraway look in her eyes. If he were being honest with himself, the look terrified him.

"Before I hurt myself?" KJ curled his lip, his fingers gripping the rock even tighter. "I hope I fucking hurt myself!" when Cole's heart did a somersault, KJ let out a soft sigh.

"It's the sharpest thing I can find," he muttered, his gaze dropping to the pointed edge. The boy held out his arm with a growl of frustration, tracing veins spiralling down his pale skin, pale blue bruises. Cole flinched a little. If he was to hold out his own arm, the ugly secret, a sleeve of pain riding just below his elbow, would be exposed. He shivered. "Don't." he muttered. "KJ, I know what you want to do, and I'm telling you it's a bad idea." But his brother just laughed harshly, his eyes sparkling with that menace, that glimmer of evil which frankly, he missed. Ever since the three of them had become victims rather than the bad guys, Cole had started to sink deeper and deeper into his old name. Jughead. It didn't help that Clifford Blossom had named him that for one year of mindless torture.

"Stop calling me that." KJ's gaze snapped to his, the boy's expression crinkling with - pain. Pure agony. The boy shifted under the blanket, hissing when he dug the rock deeper. "They're our cover names, Jug. Which, unless you failed to fucking notice, we don't need them anymore." KJ sounded like he was holding back a sob, but really struggling. "We're back where we started," he muttered. "Back to the streets, where we fucking belong."

"For now," Cole said, reaching out and gripping KJ's hands, as though that would somehow stop KJ from doing something with that rock if he really wanted to. "We just need to figure things out, big brother." Keeping eye contact with KJ, Cole trailed his hands over KJ's fingers, gently trying to pry the rock away. "And your name is KJ. Your father gave you that name. Fred gave you that name. Cover or not, that's what you go by."

KJ shook his head. "I tried to kill him, Jug," he said softly, his brown eyes flitting to his brother. "I tried to kill the man who put a roof over my head, who trained me and turned me into the boy I am today, and fuck…" the redhead drifted off with a sigh, streaking his free hand through his filthy, tangled hair. "I don't deserve that name," he whimpered. The boy shifted, like he was going to burrow under the blanket, but he didn't, leaving the majority of it sheltering Camila from the icy shower. Instead, he wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his chin on his knees. It reminded Cole of Archie when they were little kids. But ten year old Archie had often contemplated what had happened to his parents, while seventeen year old KJ seemed to be locked into a permanent state of shock, and self pity.

The boy sighed. "That tough as nails Serpent kid was Fred's son, and Clifford fucked him up. I'm just a screwed up street kid."

Well, he wasn't exactly wrong. They were screwed up. So, so screwed up beyond measure, they were barely normal teenagers anymore. But what they weren't were street kids. That chapter in their life had ended years ago, and this was just temporary.

KJ, or he guessed Archie, mumbled something incoherent, leaning forward and grabbing the rock that had slipped from his grasp. He studied it with wide eyes. "There's gotta be some way to use it, right?" Cole swore his brother looked slightly unhinged, mocha coloured eyes almost cartoon like with false hope. He was obsessed with cutting into his arm, for something that wasn't there, and Cole knew that the only thing he was going to get out of it was fucking Septicaemia.

"Knock it off," Cole said, shaking his head slightly. Almost immediately after he had done so, he felt a sudden pulsing in his temples, causing him to wince at the pressure. Squinting his eyes slightly, as though that would somehow alleviate some of the tension, Cole took the rock out of KJ's hand, not at all liking or trusting the odd look in his eyes. "Nothing about this situation is permanent. None of it. We are going to figure out what is going on, we're going to fix it, and then we are going to go back to our parents. We just …" he trailed off and sighed, glancing over at Camila, who was staring out into the rain. God, he didn't even know if she was here right now. "We'll figure it out."

Before KJ could say or do anything, Cole tossed the rock out of their little shelter and off to the side, not even really caring where it went, so long as it was out of KJ's reach. He shuffled closer to their sister, and he reached forward, gently running his fingers through her hair, brushing it out of her face. He absently took note of how her fingers and hands were still slightly pink, the blood of her father staining them. Cole swallowed thickly, trying to shake the image of Hiram laying dead in the upstairs kitchen. "Cami, do you want to try to eat something?"

"I'm not hungry." Camila spoke so softly, Cole might have mistaken her voice for the wind. His sister ducked her head, her raven hair falling in half lidded eyes. She looked like she was in a trance, and hell, he wouldn't be surprised if she actually was in one, considering what has happened to her father. The image of Hiram Lodge lying in a pool of crimson, a growing vein of blood inching closer and closer to him didn't want to leave Cole's mind. He gritted his teeth and forced a smile, when all he really wanted to do was crawl under the blanket with his siblings, and fall victim to slumber. God, he was tired. In his street life days Cole had liked to fall asleep to the sound of rainfall, even if it had been soaking the blanket wrapped around the three of them. But then FP Jones had offered him his very own bedroom, with an actual bed, blankets and pillows, and warmth. Endless warmth. "You'll never be cold again." FP had promised him, and Cole had believed him. With teary eyes, he had trusted his new father to take care of him, to shelter him from the cold and protect his brother and sister.

And now his father was the one who had to be protected from him. Cole frowned at his sister, pondering if force feeding her bits of chicken would result in his untimely demise. Looking at Camila, at her gaze which seemed to be gazing into the abyss and nothing else, he figured he should just leave it. So he picked up his findings and stuffed a few morsels into his mouth, chewing experimentally. The chicken didn't taste good. But it wasn't bad either. It was slightly hard and maybe a little slimy, but it was what he'd expected, after digging it out of a dumpster. KJ was still glaring at the ground when he passed the redhead the napkin. "Dude," Cole muttered. When his brother ignored him, he let out a hiss.

"KJ, I'm trying," he gritted out. "I'm trying my fucking best not to freak out right now, and the scary zombie eyes?" he turned to the boy, curling his lip. "Yeah, they're not exactly helping right now! All you're doing is staring at that fucking rock that isn't-" it took everything, every last ounce of his strength, not to pull out his hair. "God, it's not even there anymore!"

He was right. KJ's gaze was stuck to cracked concrete where he'd dropped the rock, minutes after Cole had tossed it down the alleyway. And he wasn't moving, just staring, glaring into nothing, just like his sister.

Cole wasn't surprised when KJ turned that glare up at him, warm brown eyes the complete opposite of what they should be. "That's not my name-"

"Oh, come off it," Cole snarled, sitting back on the ground, hating the feel of the cold rain seeping into his jeans. There were many parts about living on the streets that he didn't miss, and being soaked was certainly one of them. There was nothing worse than feeling one's clothing sticking to their body, and it did nothing to lighten the darkened mood Cole was already in. "I'm not in the mood for the fucking pity party. I know what you almost did. I was there to fucking witness it. I saw-" Before the words were completely out of his mouth, Cole cut himself off and looked back at Camila, whose eyes had welled with fresh tears, her chin quivering, and he hated himself, hated everything and everyone in that moment, because hurting his sister wasn't what he meant to do. He reached out and curled his fingers around Camila's, squeezing and taking pleasure in the fact that she squeezed his in return. "We need each other more than anything right now. We take the night and get out our frustrations, but tomorrow morning, we start figuring shit out. Okay? So glare into the fucking concrete all you want, KJ. Starve yourself for the night. Fine. But come morning, we're going to get to work."

The redhead jolted like he'd been electrocuted, letting out a scoff. "What?" it was like the spell that had been cast over him, was broken. His eyes flashed. "Why are you making the rules, huh? Last time I checked, I was the eldest, Jug. And I'm saying there's something inside us, which made me try to kill my dad, and I don''t care how fucking crazy I sound, I know it's real, and it's going to get worse, and...and-" KJ's voice fell into incoherent gibberish, and Cole resisted against a scream of frustration. Fuck. He was losing him.

KJ jumped up, flinging the blanket off himself, resulting in it landing on the soaking ground. Camila squeaked, letting out a soft gasp, before huddling into herself, burying her head in her knees. Cole felt a rush of irrational anger when his brother loomed over him, before falling to his knees, pawing around for that god forsaken rock. Cole had always been the level headed one, the brother who kept calm, while KJ writhed with anger, taking it out on anyone in a mile radius. But now there was just the three of them, or two of them, considering Camila was on Pluto. Cole couldn't help it. The words were slipping from his lips before he could help it, and maybe it was exhaustion, or the fact that he was dwelling in his own silent agony. He missed his family. He fucking missed his father, and Lili- oh god, Lili. Just thinking about her hurt him. It was a physical ache in his chest, and he couldn't go back to her, he could never see her again, kiss her again, be with her for the rest of his life because he was dangerous. He was a fucking ticking time bomb- all three of them were, and KJ trying to track down what Cole was pretty sure was paranoia, buried in his arm, just wasn't helping. It was making things so much worse than they already were, and fuck, Cole just wanted to punch him. In that moment, watching his brother crawl around, grasping for a rock to continue with mindless self harm, he wondered if grabbing the rock for himself and knocking the idiot out was what was best.

"K-" he swallowed, choking on his words. Fuck the cover name, just this one time. He was getting on Cole's last nerve. "Archie, I've looked after you my whole life," he tried not to seethe, but it was out now. His venomous side, that part of him he'd loved as a Serpent. And hated as Jughead Jones, his weak self. "Don't you remember?" before he could stop himself, he was joining the redhead, grabbing hold of the boy and shaking him violently. "Hey!" but the redhead wasn't looking at him, his mind was elsewhere, on a quest for something that didn't exist. Cole gritted his teeth. "Stop it." he said, and when KJ cocked his head, his brown eyes narrowing, he tightened his grip on his brother's shoulders. "Fucking stop it, KJ! Snap out of it!"

"I told you, I'm not KJ!" the redhead growled. "It's Archie, Jug! It's always been Archie!"

"Are you serious?" Cole spat. "What, are you going to throw seven damn years away, huh? And besides, you were Archie in that bastard's eyes. Do you really want to cling onto that name?"

"Back off." the boy hissed, and Cole choked on a sob. He couldn't lose it. Fuck, he couldn't! Instead of freaking out, like he really wanted to, Cole bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. But it felt - good. Relieving. "KJ, please," he whispered. "Look, I lost- I lost my dad, I lost Lili, and I feel like Camila is fading too, I-" Cole blinked rapidly, but the tears still came.

"I need you. I need you not to lose it. I need you with me, dude."

KJ shook his head, releasing a shaky breath. His eyes were wide, but there was nothing there, no warm glint, no friendly teasing. Just fear. "We need to cut our arms open, and see what he's done to us." the boy said stiffly. And then it began to rain, because that was The Serpent Kids luck. Cole tried not to hiss out when freezing cold rain slithered down his back, sticking his shirt to his skin. KJ peered at him through red hair plastered over his pale forehead.

"I can feel it, Jug." he said softly. "It's- it's inside me."

Are you-" Cole started, feeling red hot anger shoot through him like heroine. Releasing KJ like he was contagious, Cole spun around and looked frantically for the fucking rock he tossed aside earlier. To hell with being logical. Logic flew out the window hours ago, so why he was trying to cling to it was a mystery. "You really wanna cut your arm to pieces? Fine. Let's do it."

He couldn't find the rock, but he did find a piece of broken glass beside one of the dumpsters, and without thinking, he grabbed a hold of it, the glass slicing into his fingers, but it was a numbing pain. The anger he felt was too much to ignore, and no pain was enough to make him feel anything but said anger. Spinning around, he closed the distance between himself and KJ, ripping his brother's sleeve open. And he didn't hesitate, because this was what KJ wanted, right? FP had taught him all about anatomy, where vital organs and veins were, where to cut and where to avoid at all costs. So when he pressed the knife to his brother's pale skin and sliced into the flesh, Cole wasn't afraid. The red was an overwhelming colour, and a part of him hated himself, because Camila was right there, and the sight of blood was probably enough to send her right back into a tailspin, but he couldn't help it. KJ, or Archie, was being a fucking idiot and Cole was going to prove a point then and now.

He didn't even bother to check to see if there was anything in his brother's arm. Immediately after he cut into the first one, he moved to the next one, and he knew he was scaring KJ, could tell by the way he let out strangled gasps and hitched breaths, but Cole couldn't stop. Only when Cole had sliced open both of his arms did he toss the glass to the side. He hadn't even realised he'd cut his own hands up until he was reaching for KJ's arms. He pressed and squeezed at the cuts, going so far as he plunging his fingers into the cuts.

"Where are they? Huh?" he demanded, glancing up at KJ with sharp blue eyes. When KJ had no answer for him, he began his examination on the other arm. Streams of blood curled along KJ's arms before dripping to the wet asphalt, disappearing with the rain water. "You said they were here, Arch, so where are they?" Again, when KJ didn't say anything, Cole grabbed his brother by the shoulders and shook him violently. "WHERE ARE THEY!?" And then Cole was shoving him away entirely, his chest heaving and his eyes watering, because Jesus, was this what Archie wanted? It hurt him to see his brother staring down at the crimson strips dribbling his arms, Bambi-like eyes following the blood flow as if he hadn't expected to see blood. Which was ridiculous, of course he had.

His brother sat on his knees in shock, holding out his arms, watching the rain wash away revealing crimson, like watercolour paint. Cole felt the anger that had ignited him evaporate, and he was left feeling worn out, and really fucking guilty. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, snapping KJ out of it by doing it for him, slicing open his arms so they could both look for whatever the hell was supposedly buried inside him. But looking at the gaping wounds, there was nothing to suggest foul play, or that they had indeed been inserted with some foreign object that had forced them to go feral on their parents. There was just blood, a hell of a lot of it, and Cole let out a shuddery breath, going to pull off his jacket, before his gut lurched. Instead of using his jacket, he grabbed the sodden blanket off the ground.

"I'm sorry." he said softly, shuffling over to where his brother sat. Cole expected KJ to hiss at him, backing away. But the boy just lifted his head, his lip quirking into a small smile. He didn't say anything, and nothing really needed to be said. With just a smile, both brothers had silently reconciled. Even when Cole really did want to be screamed at by his brother. He'd cut open his damn arm, for god's sake! Was KJ so numb, in so much fucking mental pain, that he couldn't even feel the stinging down his arm? Could he feel the blood pooling into his palm? Cole held his breath and screwed up the blanket, pressing it onto KJ's left arm, applying pressure. He held it for a minute, counting with his breath, before doing the same to the other arm. KJ didn't flinch or wince. His expression stayed completely neutral, and that's what terrified Cole. After a while, the bleeding stopped, and Cole went on the hunt for another blanket, coming up short. But there was an old ratty duvet buried in a trash can, and Cole had actually laughed. Because this was his life now, getting excited over finding a rotting duvet in a stinking trash bag. He'd laughed, choking on the rain still pouring down, and a mixture of tears and snot dribbling down his face. God, he was a fucking mess.

It didn't help that he had his brother's blood all over his hands, smeared on his clothes and face. When Cole returned to their little hideout for the night, home, he guessed, KJ was leaning against the wall, his knees pressed to his chest, one arm wrapped around them, the other around a sleeping Camila, holding her quivering form close. The second he saw Cole with the duvet slung over his shoulders, his brother smiled. It wasn't one of his real smiles, but it was a start. KJ helped proposition the blanket so it was covering all three of them, and they huddled together, finally with some kind of warmth, some kind of shelter, which wasn't quite home. But right now, it was the best he could do.

He thought about falling asleep. Because right then, it was all he could do. With his brother and sister pressed against him, Cole couldn't have felt more warm, more safe. The three of them lay under a small shelter, thanks to the dry cleaners roof. Camila was already asleep, her soft snores piercing the silence. But it was what Cole needed. He latched onto every one of his sister's breaths, because against all odds, she was alive. Camila Lodge was still kicking, despite losing her father. She was the strongest one out of the three of them, with a steel will. She would mourn, and then come back ten times stronger, ready to take on the world, and most importantly, Clifford Blossom and his empire. KJ's head was buried in his shoulder, and judging from the boy's soft breaths, he was slowly dozing off.

"Arch," he murmured after a moment of gazing at the ground. Did he seriously call him Archie again?

Maybe Lili's fear of spiders had rubbed off on him, because he was suddenly hyper alert, scanning the cracks for critters.

"Hmm?" his brother's voice was a soft hum, and the redhead finally sounded - content.

Cole opened his mouth to say something - what he didn't know - but at the last second, he thought better of it. Hadn't they said enough tonight? Instead, he shuffled down a little, pressing a kiss to the top of Camila's head before resting his head on hers. "Never mind," he said softly, his words swallowed up by the rain. A wave of exhaustion seemed to crash into him, causing his bones to grow heavy and weak. Now that the adrenaline had passed, along with his anger, that ever-present headache was coming back to centre-focus. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to get comfortable. Sleep would help. In the morning, he'd find them more food and then they would start trying to figure out what was wrong with them, what exactly Clifford Blossom did to set them on their parents. And then he'd go back to Lili for real this time. They wouldn't just have that one moment. Because there were more to come. There was so much more. He imagined her during training, that slightly manic look in her blue eyes, straying golden hair stuck to a perspired forehead. She was grinning, goading him to hit her again. Cole loved training. When Lili had gotten a hang of it, it was all the two of them did.

And when they grew tired, they'd lay on the gym floor and talk about everything and nothing. There was one memory that stuck in his mind. It had been a rainy day, and the others had been out on assignment, leaving Lili with Cole. Lili had ended up beating him in a fight, and neither of them had been bothered to sit up, the blonde collapsing over his chest. They'd been like that for a while, and he was panicking a little. It was the closest they'd even been, and he was 50% sure she'd fallen asleep. So, freaking out a little, he blurted;

"Have you ever heard of A Series Of Unfortunate Events?"

And she'd mumbled into his chest something incoherent, before lifting her head, blinking; "Netflix or original film?"

"The books, Lili."

"Oh! I haven't read them. Have you?"

"Sort of...they had them at the orphanage. They were ratty, and most of the pages were torn out, but I got through them. I kinda related to them, y'know? With the whole orphan thing. And Clifford Blossom is our Count Olaf."

"So who does that make you?"

"Probably Klaus?"

She'd smirked, her eyes glinting. "I'd say you were more of a Violet."

"I mean sure, I guess?

They ended up talking about the books for a while, and he'd enjoyed it, having Lili intently listening to him as he explained all twenty books, and she didn't look bored at all, jumping in with questions. When he'd finished, they grabbed a pizza, curled up on the couch, and Lili introduced him to the Netflix series, which was actually pretty damn good.

Cole held onto that memory of her, huddling further into himself. He had to keep his head. He'd get his family back and Lili - eventually.

For now, though, the sounds of his siblings breathing softly around him and the rain droplets crashing to the ground was enough to lull him into a somewhat restful sleep.

It didn't last, because why would it? Clearly nothing ever did in their lives. And honestly, Cole didn't really know what it was that had his eyes opening instantly, didn't really know what sound caused his senses to immediately go into alert, but it happened, and he felt himself tense. Gently, Cole untangled himself from where he was between his siblings. It hadn't stopped raining. The cardboard they were sitting on was sopping wet, and there were leaks dripping through the meagre cover they had about their heads. All of that was forgotten as Cole slowly slipped out and stood to full height, his eyes taking in his surroundings, scanning for trouble. For an alley, it was wide. Up and down the sides of the buildings, were dumpsters, and Cole found himself cocking his head slightly, eyes narrowing. Had they checked to be sure no-one was around them before they picked the alley? Of course, they did. They had to have done so. They might have lived in a house for the past seven years, but there was no way they would have forgotten such a simple rule that had kept them alive for as long as they were on the streets as kids.

So what … there. A flicker of movement caught Cole's eyes, and he felt a fresh wave of adrenaline slam into him as he quickly moved to where he had dropped the shard of glass he'd used to cut into his brother's arm - or the vicinity of where he thought he'd dropped it. He cursed to himself for not keeping it with him, but given the nature of the reasons for why he had the shard to begin with, Cole could understand why he wanted to part with it at the time. Now, however, was a different story.

"KJ!" Cole hissed out, gasping when he found the shard, the glass slicing into an already opened wound. He glanced up to where he had seen movement and found that it was slowly starting to take shape. It was … it was sauntering towards them, the steady footfalls on the ground doing nothing to conceal their approach. Which meant … which meant the person wanted to be discovered. Which meant the person wasn't trying to hide, wasn't trying to sneak up on them. "What's going-" KJ started, but he cut himself off, his senses picking up on what Cole's did. There was quick movement, an alarmed sound from Camila, and Cole could hear his blood rushing through his veins, because the shape was taking more of a form now, and Cole … he knew that form …

"Archie …" Cole breathed, and there it was again- his brother's real name, spluttering from his lips like word vomit. Suddenly it felt so real, so prominent, as if the redhead been called that his whole life. Cole's voice was barely above a whisper, fingers digging into that shard of glass, cutting into his fingers, because no, no, no, it was too soon, it was way too fucking soon -

"I have to say, children, I'm a little disappointed." 

* * *

Review for more! Let me know you're reading, and I'll post more ASAP :) x


	2. Chapter 2

Before.

"I have to say, children, I'm a little disappointed," Clifford Blossom said, coming into view. Cole's muscles refused to move, refused to budge from where he found himself frozen, and he wanted to scream, could feel it building inside of him, only to be lodged in his throat, suffocating him. "I would have thought you'd come back to me once you realised you weren't safe with the Serpents. And yet here you are, sleeping in a box of all places. A pity."

"Get her and run," Cole gritted out, heart pounding painfully against his rib-cage. His grip, if possible, tightened around the shard of glass, and what he was going to do with it, he didn't know, but anything was better than nothing, despite the fear that was coursing through him. "KJ, get Camila and run!"

Camila let out a strangled cry when she realised that Clifford Blossom was standing before them, her senses a lot slower than her brothers' at the moment, but KJ was there, gripping her arm and quickly moving her towards a side section of the alley, a thin opening that was between the back of a building and a chain-link fence. Cole slowly backed away from Clifford, following them. There was no way he was turning his back on Clifford, even though the man hadn't moved. He was simply standing there with an umbrella in hand, looking immaculate and put together - everything KJ, Camila, and Cole were not.

His head whipped around when he heard KJ gasp out in shock, Camila letting out another panicked scream, because suddenly his brother and sister were being herded back out, three more figures emerging from where they were trying to escape. Cole swallowed thickly before looking back at Clifford, the man's lips slowly stretching into a dark grin.

"Did you really think I would let you run from me?" he asked, the question directed to all of them, but his eyes remained fastened on Cole. "You're smarter than that, young man."

"No, no, let me go!" Camila screamed, and Cole's heart leapt in his chest when he saw one of the three figures - a dark-skinned woman - reach out and yanked Camila away from KJ. On instinct, Cole's fingers adjusted on the shard of glass, his mind quickly running calculations, angles running through his mind, because if he aimed correctly, he'd be able to get the girl in the throat, killing her, but that left the other two, and there were no more weapons -

"Stop thinking so hard, Jughead," Clifford said, humour in the tone of his voice. "There's no getting out of this."

"Oh, I don't know. I can get creative." The words were out before he could stop them, and he was surprised to hear how steady they were, because he was feeling anything but.

"At the risk of hurting your own siblings?" That voice Cole hadn't heard before, and when he turned to address the owner, all the words died in his throat, because the owner of that voice was currently holding a knife to KJ's neck.

"Greetings and salutations!" The boy holding his brother was a big guy, bigger than KJ and Cole put together. Cole could barely see him in the din, only glimpsing a manic grin and glimmering eyes basking in lunacy. Cole lost his breath a little. The boy - he looked the spitting image of Serpent KJ, before he'd been fucked up beyond repair. The overly confident smile, pitch dark eyes, as well as a signature black leather jacket. It was like he was suddenly staring at a crazier version of his brother, and Cole's chest ached.

The boy chuckled when KJ let out a hiss, attempting to dig his elbows into his chest. "Get off me!" he growled, but as strong as his brother was, he was no match for the boy in black. If anything, he just looked amused.

"Nice one Andrews." His manic giggle sent shivers down Cole's spine. Clifford cleared his throat, attracting his attention. But he didn't want to look at the man, he didn't want to listen to him. Clifford Blossom was his own personal boogeyman, and here he was, ready to take control of his life once more.

"Jordan, please treat Archie accordingly," he said, with a smug smile.

And KJ, still squirming in the boy - Jordan's - grip, snarled like a wild animal. "Archie?!" he spat. "Get your head checked, old man. That's not my fucking name. Now, I'd really appreciate it if you got the fuck off me before -"

"Before what?" Jordan clamped his arms tighter around the redhead, rendering a sharp gasp of breath from KJ. Something changed in his expression - the curl of a playful and slightly manic smirk was gone, replaced with a spark of insanity, a glimmer of madness, that sent Cole stumbling backwards. "What exactly are you going to do to me, Serpent?"

"What am I going to do to you?!" KJ struggled like crazy, his eyes wild, lips twisted. "Let go of me and I'll fucking show you, you piece of - ow!" he yelped when Jordan wrapped his fingers around tangled strands of his hair, crimson bleeding through his knuckles - and yanked at it. Hard. "Archie." He ragged the boy's hair again, and KJ stopped struggling, tears glistening in his eyes. "Are you going to stop acting like a little bitch?" Cole expected his brother to react in some way, but to his shock, KJ stayed silently seething, teeth gritted. Jordan chuckled. "That's what I thought."

"Jordan, what did I tell you?" Clifford shook his head, that same smile stretched across his lips. "Play nice with my son. You are his bodyguard, after all. I have wonderful plans for him."

"Son?!" KJ's shriek was painful. "Alright, let's get something straight, you fucking weirdo. You will never own me, okay? I'm not your son, I'm not your fucking soldier, and I'm not a Blossom, okay? I'm a Serpent. So whatever freaky plans you have for my siblings and I -" He let out a breath, choking on what sounded like a sob. He was trying so hard to keep it together, to not look terrified in front of the nightmare of a man. KJ swallowed. His voice was more of a cry, a desperate gasp for breath as he struggled to cling onto his sanity. "Brainwashing, torture chairs, whatever. You do realise all of that messed up shit you did to our head, it unraveled when Keller hit us with a frying pan, right?" He let out a startled laugh, and Cole wondered if his brother was losing it. "A fucking frying pan! Isn't that hilarious? Your one-year reign over us ended because of a lump of bastard metal."

"Very true." Clifford nodded, and KJ snarled. But he didn't seem to understand that the man wasn't agreeing with him, only acknowledging his words, with a knowing smile that Cole wanted to carve off his lips with the sharpest knife he could find.

KJ, to his frustration, continued on, spitting venom, because it was all he could do. He was fucking scared, and outnumbered, trapped in a psycho's arms. "Nice. Good to know you actually understand something in that fucked up brain of yours! So don't turn up out of the blue and think you can just take us, because we'll fight. We'll fight and we'll win." The boy shook his head with a strangled sob. "You made us try and kill our fucking parents! You had us on a bad day."

KJ , Cole wanted to yell at his brother, who was practically foaming at the mouth, stop. You fucking idiot, just stop! You're making it worse!

"We're not scared of you, got that?" KJ, letting go of all logic, every coherent thought in his mind, leaned forward with so much malice in his eyes, so much repressed pain and anger, that despite his frustration with his brother's ranting, Cole felt a proud smile tug at his lips. "So stop while you're at it. As much as you try, you'll never get your own way. You'll never -"

He was cut off when Jordan snaked his hand over his mouth, but KJ, for once, wasn't the victim. Finally, he was the Serpent boy his father had brought him up as. With an erratic shake of his head, he struggled wildly, his words turning muffled, before he managed to drag Jordan's hand away with a startled breath. "You'll never control us." Cole was surprised to see a vindictive grin form on his brother's lips. "Do you hear me? You'll never - mmpph!"

"Dude," Jordan squeezed the boy tighter, and the boy yelped, muffling gibberish into his hand. "Let's give that mouth a rest, yeah? Dad doesn't like foul mouthed children."

"Mmmph!"

Clifford hummed softly, regarding the redhead with a satisfied smile, and Jordan started laughing, slowly removing his hand. KJ wriggled out of his grip and spat in disgust, his nose wrinkling. "Your hand smells like salmon," he hissed. "Call me that again, and I'll rip out your eyes." And then he cocked his head, dark eyes landing on Clifford, who grinned like a cheshire cat. Cole couldn't help wonder if this was all the bastard wanted in the first place, for KJ to prove he had bite, venom, truly exposing the monster he was inside, and confirming that he was in fact the perfect Blossom. "What the fuck are you laughing at?" KJ hissed. "Did my dad kicking your asses repeatedly knock out some serious brain cells?"

"I won't ask you again." Jordan's hand muffled KJ's mouth once more, and the boy stiffened in his grasp, going silent. "Keep that gorgeous mouth of yours shut, or I'll sew it shut."

"Thank you, Jordan. I'm laughing, Archibald, because you won't be soon enough," Clifford replied flippantly. "I'm laughing because you children don't seem to realise you've already lost. There is no version where you leave this alley on your own free will." With a shake of his head, he took a few steps closer, and Cole immediately found himself backing up, making sure he kept the same distance between them. Jordan had a hold of his brother, and Cole doubted he'd be letting go anytime soon, and Camila … as much as he didn't want it to be true, he very much doubted his sister would be of much help. At the moment, the focus wasn't on him, and if he was going to do something with that shard of glass, now might be the time to start plotting out a plan.

"We'll never go anywhere with you," KJ snarled back, muscles straining as he struggled against Jordan's iron-like grip, once again regaining control of his mouth. "And after what you did to us? You're dead. You're so fucking dead -"

Cole felt a wave of hopelessness hit him when Jordan let out a disgruntled laugh, tugging at KJ's hair again, like a rag doll, his other hand once again clamping over the redhead's mouth. There were tears in KJ's eyes, causing the warm browns to glisten. Or maybe that was the rain. Cole didn't know. All he knew was that he felt a sense of pride for his big brother - that and fear. Because as much as he loved his brother for standing up for them, he wasn't in a position to keep up with it. And Cole needed him if they were going to get out of there alive.

"What do you want?" he finally asked, breaking his silence. He felt himself tense when Clifford's eyes fell and landed on him, felt his chest tighten at the calculated look, because that look screamed greed. The dark look in Clifford's eyes spoke of possession and malintent, and Cole wanted more than anything to just disappear into the shadows of the alley and fucking run, because as much as he believed in his brother … "I don't … just what do you want ?"

"What I want will come soon enough, but what I want right now, Jughead, is for you and your siblings to fall in line."

Cole's fingers tightened on the shard of glass. "That's not my name."

"It's the name your supposed Serpent father gave you, was it not? Or do you prefer Forsythe?" That name coming from Clifford's mouth had Cole flinching so violently, he physically stepped back as though he were struck across the face. And he couldn't do anything to hide the shock on his face, couldn't do anything to conceal the way his mouth fell agape, his chest rising and falling in quick succession, because … because how did he know? "I know more than you think, young man. More than you could possibly know."

Cole opened his mouth to say something, the panic welling deep within him, and he had to say something now, because not saying anything would mean giving up what little control he had left of the situation, and he couldn't give that up. There was too much riding on the outcome of this moment. He blinked back the tears or the rain or whatever the fuck caused his eyes to blur and his fingers clenched around the shard of glass, and he didn't care that his fingers were bleeding, could barely feel the cuts that more than likely covered the inside of his hand, because maybe that was a good thing. It grounded him, gave him something else to think about than the fear and the panic and the anger and the fucking helplessness that was slowly starting to suffocate him. But before he could think of anything to say, before the words - whatever they were - could formulate in his mouth, a hand was suddenly wrapping around his wrist, yanking his hand upward. Cole's head snapped to the side when he saw another tall guy there, his eyes dark and expressionless.

"I think we should let go of that now, huh?" he said, raising a brow at him, and even though there wasn't anything revealing in his gaze, Cole had a sneaking suspicion the guy found him hilarious. "We don't want you hurting yourself."

"No, we certainly do not," Clifford agreed, and when Cole turned his head to glare at the man, he found Clifford actually twirling the umbrella around, pacing back and forth in front of them. Cole didn't know why, but his total lack of care and worry over them escaping irked him far more than the guy grabbing his wrist.

"Hey!" the guy snapped, causing Cole's attention to immediately latch back onto him. Against his better judgement, against every instinct, Cole found himself straightening, as though rising to attention. He fucking hated it. "I said let go. Do it."

"Who the hell are you tell me what to do?" Cole snarled and, to prove a point, he felt his fingers tightened all the more over the broken piece of glass. Blood was welling in the palm of his hand, running down his wrist, coating the sleeve of his jacket red, but the pain was something he had long since been able to hide from sight.

"Sorry, kid, how rude of me. Name's Reggie Mantle, your new bodyguard."

Furrowing his brow, alarm shooting through him like shocks of electricity, Cole's head once again snapped towards Clifford, the words, "What the fuck?" coming out of him before he even had the chance to stop them. Not that he would, but the incredulity of it surprised even him. He felt ice shoot down his spine when Clifford only laughed, as though he found Cole amusing. That was two people now, and Cole could feel his anger start to spike. He was losing all sense of control and that was a sensation he hated more than anything else in the world.

"It occurred to me after your disappearing act earlier this evening that you and your siblings are unequipped to being on your own. You are too volatile, too unstable to be on your own." Clifford stopped passing and came to stand before Cole, and the action was enough to have Cole taking quick steps back, but the hand wrapped around his wrist prevented him from going far. This was the closest Clifford had been to him in a while - that he could remember, of course - and it had the scowl wiping clean away from his face, his expression morphing into something that resembled discomfort and unease. "Not only that, you are incredibly vital to me." His fingers reached out and trailed along the length of his arm, and Cole's breath hitched, muscles tensing, especially when Clifford's fingers reached the hem of his jacket, where all he had to do was pull it and his secret would be revealed.

"Stop," Cole gasped out, and he hated himself for how weak he suddenly sounded, for how childish and afraid he appeared, because in the grander scheme of things, it didn't really matter, his secret. It didn't fucking matter, because Clifford intended on kidnapping them again, on taking them away again, and who knew for how long this time? It was a year last time, what if it was longer this time? But the fear was too overwhelming, and when Clifford's fingers reached the hem of his jacket, Cole found himself reacting on the childish need to protect the one thing he had control over. "Don't, just … no …"

He was expecting Clifford to laugh, to shake his head in amusement for putting Cole into such a position, but instead, his eyes darkened, a look of utter fury crossing his face, and before Cole could think to do anything, Clifford suddenly closed the distance between them and grabbed a hold of Cole's jaw, fingers squeezing tightly as he forced Cole to look him in the eye. "Don't you dare treat what I've done to you as something to be ashamed of! I made you perfect!"

Cole could hear the blood rushing through his veins, felt as though his heart was going to beat straight through his rib-cage, and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop the tears that formed and fell from his eyes, could do nothing to stop the terrified cry that slipped past his lips, because this was the monster he feared more than anything else in the world. This was the boogeyman under the bed, the movement in the shadow he could never escape from. And this was the very thing that he was going to be forced back with if they didn't come up with some way out of this. But the very idea of escape was gone. The second Clifford closed the distance between them, the second he got into his face, the second he saw the manic glint in his eyes, Cole felt his resolve crumbling, because there wasn't a point, was there? There was nothing they could ever do to get away from Clifford Blossom, and the hand that was gripping his chin and the one gripping his wrist felt more like chains keeping him pinned in place.

"Drop the glass, kid," Reggie's voice sounded in his ear, low and full of warning.

And he did. The sound of it hitting and shattering on the asphalt felt like a punch in the gut. Because it was over. The fight was over before it could truly begin.

* * *

Present.

The world was flying by in a whir of colour and shapes that bleed together. Dark navies, deep violets, livid reds, and blacks. Lili blinked slowly, her head resting against the back of her seat, an exhaustion so profound, she found it difficult to keep her eyes opened. Casey's driving wasn't helping, the lull of the car pulling her deeper and deeper into that muted state she found herself in. Her friend was saying something to her, but his words were melding together just like the colours and shapes outside her car window. If she closed her eyes, she could still see them, see him , and Lili didn't know if she was comforted now or utterly horrified.

"Lili?" Casey's voice cut through her thoughts, dragging her from her reverie. The boy was twiddling the dial on the car stereo, trying to find a station, but all that roared from the speakers was white noise, going straight through her. "Dude, are you okay?"

Lili dragged her gaze from the window, where she'd been following the spindly legs of a tiny spider, slowly making its way across the pane. "No," she said softly, could already feel tears stinging her eyes. Lili wiped at them stubbornly. "It was them," she whispered, and Casey let out a shuddery sigh. He clenched the steering wheel tighter.

"No matter how many times you say 'it was them', I'm still going to come out with the same answer; 'I know." He rolled his eyes. "C'mon Lil, you were bound to see them at some point." She didn't answer, her gaze flickering back to the window, where rain was starting to pelt the windows. She followed a stray drop, watching it drip down the glass, until it merged with two others. Casey nudged her. Hard. Damn, his elbows were pointy. "Lili, you can't keep living in the past," he said, after a moment. "I get that you and Cole were, uh … can we even call it together? I mean I was too busy, y'know, bleeding out , to really tell what was going on. But … we knew they hadn't left Riverdale. And that they were with the Blossoms."

"I'm aware of that, Casey," Lili replied, unable to hide the sudden bout of frustration welling inside of her. Because she was. What her and Cole had … what they were developing … "That isn't it. That has nothing to do with this. I mean, it does, but not entirely."

From the corner of her eye, she could see him slowly nodding his head, as though waiting for her to continue, to elaborate, but God, she didn't know! It was everything and nothing, it was the shock of seeing them for the first time in three years. It was the horror of seeing what they had become, and that alone had her head spinning, because Clifford was a monster, but to make KJ, Cole, and Camila into that … she couldn't wrap her head around it, despite the fact that she'd seen what he'd done to them in the year they'd been missing before she'd found and rescued them.

"Well it clearly does." Casey muttered. "You look like you're about to puke." He shot her a look, curling his lip. "Not on the new seats. They're real, proper leather. Not the shitty kind."

And Lili couldn't resist a scoff. "Courtesy of Clifford Blossom?"

Casey kept his eyes on the road, but Lili could tell from his flexing fingers around the wheel that a punch in the gut was imminent. She'd hit him back, and they'd fight it out, before one of them surrendered. It was usually Casey. "You know, the longer I know you, the less funny you become." he boy shot her a smile, and it was teasing, and handsome, because damn, her best friend had grown up exceptionally well. He'd done a fairly good job at dragging her, kicking and screaming, out of La Bonne Nuit's parking lot, before she could make a fool out of herself and try and chase down the car holding her siblings captive. But they didn't want to be found. They were happy there, and that fact killed her inside.

"Casey ..." Lili trailed off, and the boy sighed again, leaning back into his seat. He sounded like he was deflating with the amount of times he exhaled. He started playing around with the radio again, until a pop song came on, blasting from the speakers. It did nothing to alter Lili's shitty mood. Holding in a breath she didn't think she wanted to let go of, she rested her head against the window once again, revelling in the frosty glass cooling her flushed skin. "He said he wanted me to find him," she whimpered, blinking back tears. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she grimaced. Her face was pale, which wasn't out of the ordinary, strands of limp golden hair falling in half lidded eyes. It was past midnight, and Riverdale was the type of town students thrived off, crowding the streets, drunk and stumbling around like idiots. Which technically, Lili had been doing when Casey had physically thrown her over his shoulder so she wouldn't do something she'd regret. But everything that happened after seeing them seemed like a haze. All she remembered was staggering around, screaming at Casey to do something! But what could he do? What could he really do? Except wrap his arms around her, and hold her, squeeze her against his chest so she wouldn't shatter again.

"I think it's clear he doesn't want to be found …" Casey quietly pointed out. Lili felt her teeth grind together, the frustration and exhaustion battling, at constant war against one another.

"He looked at me. He looked right at me , Casey. That means something." It had to. There was nothing else that came to mind that made rational, logical sense.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Lili," Casey forced out, and from the tone of his voice, he sounded like he was starting to reach the end of his patience. "You want me to tell you something you don't want to hear, and I can't do that. Cole didn't even look like he knew you."

"Then that has to mean something, too!" Lili snapped, unable to keep it back any longer. "He knows me, he loves me. It has to mean something!" The words were shouted and Casey didn't say anything. The only sound in the car was the damn pop song that was playing through the speakers, and Lili was tempted to slam her fist into it just to make it stop. But she didn't. Because the words that were ripped from her sounded desperate and they were true. So fucking true. But she didn't know what she was referring to - Casey's comment or her own panic. Because … he still loved her, right? Or was he completely gone to her now? But if that was the case, how ? Because he had to know her. He had to.

"We've been through this," Casey said stiffly. "Remember when they were taken the first time? That was just simple brainwashing, Lil. This is a whole other level." He glanced at her. "You remember my emails, right?"

"Vaguely," Lili mumbled. She was in the mood to slip into her own melancholy. There was a butterfly twirling in the air outside, iridescent wings spread out, red and blue blurring together into some kind of beautiful. She didn't look away from the butterfly, enraptured by its beauty. Lili smiled at it, willing it to stay parallel to Casey's manic driving.

"Lili?" Casey groaned. "Hey! Earth to Betty!"

"What?" She twisted around in her seat, shooting him a glare. When he only gave her the look , she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm listening," She shifted in her seat. "You were babbling on about emails, or something."

"Yeah, the emails that you ignored for a whole damn year."

"Casey, get to the point." They were getting closer to home, passing the streets Lili had familiarised herself with over the years.

Instead of saying anything, Casey just signed, returning his eyes to the road. After turning on his blinker, he slowed before turning on a side street. "Just don't expect anything," he finally said. He didn't sound sad or upset, but there was a tone that brokered no argument. And as frustrating as Casey was, Lili knew to pay mind when she heard it. It didn't make her feel any better about the situation, though. "If what Clifford Blossom did to them last year was bad, and you saw , Lili." His voice broke slightly, and Lili was suddenly hyper aware of the boy still wearing KJ's Serpent jacket. "I have a feeling what he's done to them now is a whole lot worse."

"You don't know that." Her reply was pathetic, but she was holding onto the possibility that her siblings weren't completely lost. There was something still there, lingering, something human.

"Did you even see them?" Casey hissed, pawing for leftover fries spilling from the glove compartment. Lili raised her brow.

"Aren't they the fries FP bought you, like a week ago?"

"Don't dodge the question." He stuffed a handful in his mouth, chewing mechanically. "Lili, you saw Cole, right? Did he -" He let out a disbelieving laugh. "Did he look normal to you?"

Casey made sense, of course he did. But right then, she couldn't see the logical sense in anything, only that she had seen him, and he'd looked her directly in the eye. She ducked her head, swallowing hard. "You should have let me go after them, Case. I would have caught up."

He snorted. "Well fuck, sure you would have. With the crazy obsession you've built up over the years, I wouldn't expect anything different, but answer me this." Shivers ran down her spine like electroshocks when he finally turned to her, keeping a hefty hold on the wheel. "What exactly were you going to do when you caught up to them and their creepy ass bodyguards, huh?" When she couldn't reply, his eyes darkened. "Lili, they would have ripped you apart." Casey spoke so softly, but his teeth were gritted. "Did you see KJ and Camila? What about their new funky tattoos, huh? Or the dark, blank, numb, fucking gone look in their eyes?"

"Casey -"

"No, let me finish!" He let out a shuddery breath. "I fucking told you from day one that Clifford doesn't just take kids he sees potential in. He purges every last piece of humanity from them, rips their minds apart and drills it into them that they're his children." Tightening his grip on the wheel, he clenched his jaw. "The guy who was guarding KJ, I … fuck, I know him."

"James?" Lili frowned at him, and he shook his head.

"Jordan. In the early days, he was a scruffy kid called Sweet Pea, an orphan Clifford yanked off the street with his sister, Toni Topaz." He wrinkled his nose. "He was already screwed up before Clifford got his claws into him, and then he … fuck, by the time he was done, Jordan was some thingelse entirely." He grabbed and squeezed her hand. "Now I love you and I don't want to hurt you, but KJ, Camila, Cole … they're gone. Whatever he did to him this time has sealed the deal."

She couldn't help herself. The emotions were running wild inside of her, igniting her bloodstream. Lili tipped her head back, squeezing her eyes shut. She could still see his eyes. God, the tattoos writhing on his arms like they were living flowers, tightening their grip on him, squeezing all the life, all the soul out of him until he was left an empty carcass.

"But we knocked it out of them!" she said shakily, letting her eyes flutter open. There was a dull pain beginning to throb its way across the back of her head. "Casey, you -" she spluttered, turning to the boy. She wasn't even trying to hide her tears anymore. It had been three damn years of her sobbing into his chest, so why start trying to hide the fact that she was splitting apart now? "It was you who brought KJ back! If you could just think about what I'm saying, why not just, fuck, just do it again?"

This time Casey did laugh. It was a real, genuine laugh. "You want me to bust out the frying pan? Lils, did you listen to anything I just said?" He hit the steering wheel, hissing. "What, do you think Jughead was giving you sex eyes back in the club, huh? No, Lili! That boy would have strode over to you and jammed a knife in your heart, and I don't care how fucking trained you are, how much you think you're capable of fighting a Blossom and winning? You can't do it." Casey let out a breath. "Now can we please talk about something else? All we can do is let your dad and uncle do something, because we sure as hell can't. Now …" He cleared his throat, his grip loosening on the steering wheel, relaxing into the plush leather of his seat. Sweat was beading down his face, his green eyes glaring forwards, no doubt silently judging traffic.

"Is there a TV show you're watching right now?" He changed the subject, knowing for a fact that Lili didn't watch TV. The only thing she did obsessively watch was security footage from the Blossom mansion dungeons she'd managed to install. The quality had been pretty shitty, grainy and black and white with no sound. But there had been no sign of the kids. And now Lili knew why. Cole, KJ and Mila weren't stuffed in a cell somewhere, starving to death at Clifford's mercy. No. Instead they proudly stood by his side, his new children, grinning mindlessly, completely and totally fucking gone. Even when Cole had told her to find him, no matter what the bastard had done to them. And she had! She'd found him, but there was nothing left to bring back to his father, and that thought sent pangs down her spine. She balled her hands into fists in her lap.

"You're still thinking about them, aren't you?" Casey muttered, taking a sharp turn. Lili didn't flinch. Casey's driving was going to kill her one day, and she'd come to terms with the fact it was inevitable. "C'mon, Lils, you know I want them back as much as you, okay? I mean, do you think I liked seeing Archie like that? Jesus Christ, the kid used to be obsessed with video games, and sure, maybe he was a little fucked up as a Serpent, but now? Now he looks like a fucking video game character. Did you see his eyes?" He scoffed, but Lili could tell he was hurt, his voice was choking up. "There was nothing in them. No spark, no humanity, nothing. He moved mechanically, making out with some creep, and then killing him, literally stabbing the guy in the heart in a crowded club without a second thought, and -" He gestured wildly to her with one hand, keeping his gaze on the road. "And you still think he's the same old KJ, which hell, I could believe if I hadn't seen his expression. There was nothing there, and you can't deny it, Lili. Whatever was there? That crazy kid with manic eyes and a shark smile I met at your door? Yeah, he's gone."

She was getting sick of that word; gone. They were not gone!

Lili ignored the latter of what he said, trying to push down the mental image in her head; her brother straddling the man, empty eyes, twisted lips, that tattoo of shackled thorns, bleeding crimson red twined around his wrist, like a symbol of imprisonment, his Serpent tattoo nowhere to be seen.

She shivered. "You think he looks like a cartoon bandicoot?"

He shot her a look. "I was thinking of Hitman," He rolled his eyes. "Something tells me a simple knock to the head won't work this time. And yet you still insist you can miraculously save their asses from whatever fucked up shit the Blossoms have done. Well, I have news for you." He mocked a drum roll on the steering wheel. "You can't! Because, Lili Andrews, as much as you and I hate to admit it, they chose their side. Whether it was willingly or unwillingly, they're Blossoms now."

Lili shifted in her seat. "And do you care?" She couldn't help hissing to the boy, who pawed for more fries. He'd nearly eaten a whole pack of, what Lili was pretty sure, had expired days ago.

Casey groaned. "Oh, you know I care," he said through a mouthful. "In the little time I knew them, they actually turned out to be pretty decent … I guess." He pulled a face, backing up. "Except Cole. Damn, that boy nearly put me in an early grave."

"He didn't mean it," she said quickly, her stomach flipping over. Suddenly the smell of the fries was making her feel nauseous. "You saw it yourself Casey. KJ said there was … there was something in his head." Even if that sounded ridiculous, she couldn't help believe it. Camila had killed her father in cold blood, without even thinking. KJ had nearly taken out Fred, and Cole… Lili closed her eyes and counted to ten. The feeling of cold steel protruding against her head was still there, haunting her mind, her senses. Looking into his eyes, it wasn't him. Even if he was fighting it, there was something there , something controlling his actions.

"Yeah." Casey seemed to stiffen up, noticing her clear discomfort. "Hey, so I probably shouldn't be saying this, but, ahh…" He scratched the back of his head, and Lili frowned at him.

"What?"

Her best friend looked uncomfortable, opening his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by her jacket pocket vibrating. It took Lili a few seconds to realise it was her phone. It was Fred's old one, a battered iPhone 5 she had dropped multiple times. But it was her baby. She pulled it out, glancing at the screen. The brightness was turned up to max, and she squinted, wincing, and tapped ACCEPT automatically, pressing the phone to her ear. When Casey pulled a face, she only raised her arm in a shush! motion, and he let out an exaggerated sigh, turning back to the road.

"Dad?"

"Hey, Lils." Fred sounded different. She couldn't put her finger on it. Hell, she hadn't heard her father sounding excited since her twentieth, which was weeks ago. "You didn't go after them, did you?" He sounded out of breath, like he'd been running. "Lili, are you on your way home?"

"Yeah, yes, of course I am," she replied, trying to push down the panic that was beginning to coil in her gut. She sucked in a breath. "Is everything okay? You sound a little…"

"We've got him," Fred said, and Lili swallowed.

"Got - got who?" She was so close to saying his name, it was on the tip of her tongue, and suddenly she couldn't breathe. She leaned forward, tightening her grip on the phone. Fred couldn't be talking about Cole, because the last time she had seen the raven head, he had vacuously walked away from her, herded by his so-called bodyguard. How would she tell FP this? That his son, his wonderful Serpent son, had been reduced to a mindless Blossom puppet? And this time it seemed more real, more permanent. When Fred didn't answer straight away, she gritted her teeth. "Got who, dad?"

"What's he saying?" Casey murmured. "Come on, Lili. I'm not a mind reader."

"Shut up, Casey," Lili hissed, feeling her heart-rate skyrocket as she waited for her father to continue. Her mind was going off in so many directions, she could barely keep up. Add in the way Casey's driving kept jerking her around in the seat, her stomach was a jumble of knots. " Dad- "

"Doctor Curdle, Sr.," Fred said, voice devoid of all emotion. "We've got the son-of-a-bitch who did this to them."

"Did … did what?" Lili shuddered. "You - you mean the brainwashing?" Part of her knew it wasn't just brainwashing anymore. It was something darker, a lot more terrifying, something that could well and truly wipe her from Cole's mind. For real this time. "Because, there's, uh…"

Fred laughed. He actually laughed. But there was no warmth, only suppressed pain he wasn't doing a good job at hiding. He didn't seem to be listening to her, only fixated on his own grief. "Joaquin, one of our boys, caught him in a Serpent tattoo parlour, bragging about some kind of -" he trailed off, choking on his words, and Lili lost her breath.

Her patience was very quickly thinning. "Dad, what are you talking about?"

"Don't worry, Lils. This will all be over, I promise you. When we're finished with him, we'll know everything, okay?"

"I …" She sent a look to Casey, who looked as clueless. Lili pressed her lips together. "Wait, do you mean …"

"Yes. This is our first lead in years, sweetie. This bastard knows something, and we need to get it out of him."

"Now?" Lili sat up quickly, nearly hitting her head on the ceiling. "Can you wait? " Looking out the window, the sky was a blanket of darkness, vast and mysterious and so completely empty. Lili swallowed thickly and tore her eyes away, until she was staring at the cars driving by. "We're about five minutes away. Can you guys wait for us? We're stepping on it."

"Are we?" Casey spluttered. "If I go any faster, I'll get pulled over."

Lili shot the boy a pointed look. "Since when have you cared? You drive like a maniac." She let out a steady breath. "Besides, they've captured someone." She furrowed her brows. "Some kind of doctor?"

"Doctor?" Casey paled, stomping on the gas pedal. "Oh, Jesus fucking Christ, this isn't going to go well.

Fred sighed down the phone, static crackling in her ear. "Just get home quick, okay?"

Lili swallowed. Casey's words wouldn't leave her mind. Did he know this guy? And if so, how? Her best friend had been a Blossom for most of his life, so surely he knew more about this Doctor than them.

"Be there soon, dad."

The time for thinking, for obsessing, was over. Her seatbelt was off before Casey even pulled up the drive to the house, and she was throwing the door open and jumping out before Casey had properly stopped the car. But she couldn't help it, and inwardly, she knew that her friend understood why she was doing what she was, why she couldn't hesitate any longer.

"Lili!" Casey shouted after her, but she was already running up the driveway, falling over herself. Wearing heels had been a bad idea, she was tripping over her feet, feeling ridiculous in Camila's skater dress. She was supposed to be the last Serpent kid, the one who had survived, and not had her mind taken and polluted by Clifford Blossom. Lili Andrews, the girl who had, against all odds, managed to stay with her family. But when she threw open the huge mahogany door to the Serpent's house, stumbling inside in her sister's heels, she looked more like a kid sneaking in after curfew. There was her old self, Elizabeth Cooper, sneaking up on her once again. Betty never left. No matter how much stronger she got, that sixteen year old helpless kid with the unicorn pyjamas was still there, in the form of her worst insecurities. But then so was Cole. The Serpent boy with shining green eyes and a twisted smile, grinning wildly at her.

"You're definitely not who I expected."

Lili shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. He was in all of her dreams, her nightmares, this version of him, the Cole she missed. The boy she had fallen in love with, craved, and- and lost. But she couldn't think of him right now. "Dad?" she called, inwardly wincing when her voice trembled.

She expected her father to be waiting for her, but when she stumbled in, wide green eyes looking around, Lili found that there was no-one waiting for her. The front part of the house was completely empty, the lights turned off, as though everyone were asleep. But they weren't. She knew that. Lili let out a squeaking sound when she felt a body almost crash against hers, and only after she had a knife ready in her hand did she realise it was only Casey. The keys were dangling in his hand and he had an equally frustrated, impatient look on his face - only this time, it was directed at her. She hadn't expected him to run after her like that. Casey took pride in his car, as well as finding a good parking space.

"Christ, Lili, do you have a death wish?" he hissed, shoving her further into the room, so he could close the door behind them. And if he slammed it a little too loudly, Lili didn't make a comment. Maybe she owed him that outburst for jumping out of the car and being a right nuisance. But honestly, who could blame her?

"We're in the basement!" a familiar voice shouted, and Lili didn't hesitate, grabbing Casey's hand, and dragged him in the direction of her uncle's voice. Even with the lights off, Lili didn't stumble, didn't bump into tables or furniture, not like Casey did, and she felt momentarily bad when she didn't even stop to ask if he was all right, because there was no time for that. She'd make it up to him later, when they had their answers, when they had a next step. Because that's what this was all about now. After three years - three years - of dead ends and an endless stream of disappointment, everything finally seemed like it was coming together. They had someone who had seen them, hurt them. They had someone who could - and would - give them all the answers they needed.

The Serpent's basement was where she spent most of her time, idling over her laptop, scanning security footage of the Blossom mansion dungeons. The room had become more like her office, where she ended up sleeping, curled up in her computer chair. Fred normally brought down blankets. It had originally been the torture chamber for enemies of Fred, Hiram and FP, as well as the infirmary. But ever since she had moved in unofficially, using the place more than her own bedroom, because, god, she couldn't bare to go anywhere near their rooms, her father and uncle had moved the torturing upstairs. So it was a surprise when FP called up to her. Lili slipped down the stone steps easily, keeping a firm grasp of Casey's arm.

She couldn't help think back to three years ago, when she'd left her brother and Casey to rest in the infirmary, before heading outside to the pool…oh god, the pool. No matter how hard she tried to shake away the memories, they battered her. She was seeing him again, his eyes sparkling with tears, eyes that were his again. So full of life, and love, and they had kissed. They had finally kissed, he had been so warm, salty lips and damp cheeks, and she couldn't breathe, all the breath being sucked from her lungs. The two of them had stood by moonlit water, and fireworks were going off in her mind, her heart was ready to stampede out of her chest, she was crying, breathless. Before he met her gaze, and…

"Oh, fuck me!" snarled Casey, and that was all the warning Lili got before he was knocking into her from behind, causing her to jolted down the stone steps a lot quicker than she had intended. Her hand immediately came out, grabbing a hold of the banister to control her descent.

"You okay?" Lili asked, looking over at her friend from over her shoulder. She still felt selfish how she didn't even stop fully. There was just … God, there was just no time and her father and uncle were down there with Doctor Curdle, Sr., and they were finally going to get answers! To stop now meant more and more time with only the questions that had been plaguing their minds since the night everything changed.

"No, Lili, I'm not okay. I realise you people live in a fucking castle, but damn it, can't you modernise it a little bit? Do you have to have stone steps? Do they have to be this narrow? Our heights have changed since the eighteen hundreds, you know?" Casey blew out a sharp breath before he seemed to compose himself once more. And it only took Lili a moment to realise that it was … nerves. Casey was nervous about what they would find down in the basement, and it made Lili heart sputter a little bit faster and a little bit more erratically, because this was it. This was everything in a single moment. "I'm fine. Go, go. I'll catch up. I need to make sure my foot is still connected to my ankle."

Biting down on her bottom lip, Lili spun around and sprinted down the rest of the steps, taking an immediate left down the corridor. Like the steps, the walls were stonework, a feature that Hiram insisted upon when the house was being built. At least, that was the story FP and Fred stuck to whenever they talked about the construction of the house. Just thinking about her late uncle had Lili's heart ache. All of this wasn't just to get KJ, Camila,and Cole back. It was also to avenge Hiram Lodge, a man that had cared for her deeply and had showed and taught her so much about what she knew today. When they got what they needed, when they were finally able to plan an attack, the Blossom's won't know what hit them. Lili was going to do everything within her power to make Clifford Blossom pay, if it was the last thing in the world she could do, it would be to make that bastard hurt .

FP was waiting for Lili when she finally rounded the last corner, his arms crossed and a deadly look in his eyes. It had been a long while since Lili had seen him so angry. His muscles were bulging from how he had his arms crossed, his fists balled up tightly, as though he was trying to control himself from losing all sense of rationality. Lili couldn't exactly blame him there, couldn't fault him for wanting to get his hands dirty, especially if it meant finding out where Cole was and what had been done to him. Steeling herself, Lili closed the distance between them and stood before her uncle, and it was taking everything within her power to not try to look over his shoulder. But if FP was waiting outside of the room for her, it meant he had something to tell her first.

"You're three minutes late, kid," FP started off by saying, raising a brow at her. "You said five minutes."

Lili shrugged her shoulders and gave a small smile, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Was he seriously about to lecture her for being three minutes late? "Yeah, well, Casey was behind the wheel. We'd already be in that room if I was the one driving."

"Right. And where is the Keller kid?" FP asked, glancing over Lili's shoulder.

"Coming." This time, Lili didn't try to hide how impatient she was becoming. She was right there. Right there . The man who had done all of this, ruined her life, and her parent's lives, was right through that door, and she was stuck there having small-talk with her uncle. Any other time, she wouldn't mind, but right now, she felt like she was going to lose all sense of composure. "He said he'd catch up." And the tone of her voice was one of finality. She was done waiting, done wasting time.

"Slow down, kid," FP said, uncrossing his arms, as though he'd be able to stop her from slipping into that room. And maybe he knew that, too, could sense her desperation. He lifted his hands, palms outwards, as though trying to placate her, as though trying to calm her down. It wasn't working. "He's in there and he's not going anywhere."

"Great. Then let's go."

"Hold on."

"What? Why? Why ?" Because they shouldn't be having this conversation, shouldn't be wasting time and breath on whatever the hell this was supposed to be. God, if FP knew what she had seen, if he had bore witness to what Cole - and KJ and Camila - had done … this conversation would be totally different. It wouldn't even be happening.

Gnawing on his bottom lip, FP shifted from foot to foot, as though nervous for what he was about to say. And before Lili could lose it even more, FP sighed softly before shaking his head. "I just don't want you to get your hopes up. We're going to do everything we can to get what we need to know, but … we don't know what's going to happen. I need you to keep your head, Lili."

And she got it. She did. Deep down, past the desperation and the impatience, past the fear and anticipation, Lili did understand what her uncle was trying to tell her. But right now, in that moment, in her current mental state, none of it mattered. Rationality meant nothing to her in that moment, because nothing else mattered. Only finding them, finding him, bringing them home again. For good this time. Everything else, she could deal with later. All of it was just white noise. The only thing in the world that mattered to her was finding her siblings. Finding Cole. Bringing them home.

Bringing him home.

Before she could say anything else, she felt footsteps behind her. Casey. He'd finally caught up. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing," Lili said, glancing over at him, forcing a smile to her lips. He probably knew it was fake. "Foot still attached to your ankle?"

"Yeah, all good here. We ready to get the show on the road?"

She shrugged. "If FP moves his ass, then sure." Maybe she was stepping over the line a little, but desperation spurred her on. Lili could barely stand still, shifting on her feet every few seconds, trying to get a good look around the man standing in her way. FP stiffened a little, straightening up. "Like I said, kid. Don't get your hopes up. We can't be sure the piece of shit isn't fucking us over, trying to give us false hope."

Lili furrowed her brows. "It's been three years," she said softly. Suddenly unable to contain herself, she sniffled, swiping at her nose with the cuff of her jacket. Casey quickly moved to her side, without comment. He did that a lot. When she showed signs of losing it, completely shattering, he was always there, grabbing her hand. But when he reached for it, she pulled away, tears brimming her lashes. "False hope is better than nothing." She was trembling, trying to keep her voice under control, but it failed her. She balled her hands into fists. The last thing Cole had said to her was playing on an endless loop in her head, and no amount of alcohol could drown it, or purposely knocking herself out in Serpent training. His voice was always in the forefront of her mind, a soft echo. He was like a ghost, who had been with her for three years, always there, always whispering.

Find me, Lili.

Please.

After she'd seen him in the club, watched him move so effortlessly, with serpentine movements, rose tattoos pulsing on his arms, writhing like bugs every time the lights caught smooth golden skin. There were his eyes, so dull, so lifeless, catching hers, and the look in them- it told her he no longer wanted to be found, had been forced to submit to his new family. She wondered if he'd resisted and called out for her, begged her to find him.

She shook her head of the thought. Instead of upsetting her like normal, Cole's voice propelled her to push harder, and not stop until he was in her arms again. Lili gritted her teeth, her veins igniting."I want to see him."

Her uncle nodded. "I know you do, Lili. Just tell me you understand that..." he sucked in a breath. "This could be another dead end." She flinched a little when FP strode towards her and grabbed her arms, holding them firmly. She could easily get out of his grip, hell, she'd trained for the last three years and could take out a grown man in a single second. But this time she didn't want him to let go. His expression hurt her; pain and anger riddled across his eyes, twisted in his lips. "You can't put your faith in this one lead, okay?" he murmured. And when she started to shake her head, he tightened his hold on her. "I want him back just as much as you," he said softly. "Lili, there's nothing more I want in the world than to wrap my son in my arms and hold him." He let go of her arms abruptly, and it was so sudden she gasped a little, her chest tightening. The way his grip loosened from her, like he was letting go of Cole's memory.

"But I can't." he said. "That bastard took him from me, again, and I'm scared what he's become, Lili. I'm scared that when I look in Cole's eyes, I won't see my son. I'll see what Clifford Blossom has turned him into."

She blinked rapidly, but the tears were coming, and she couldn't stop them. This was exactly what she'd been thinking, after seeing him in the nightclub. Those empty eyes, devoid of everything that made him...him. The warm smile, the sparkling eyes, that curl of his lip when he was trying to suppress a grin, and not doing a very good job of it. All of that was gone. Replaced by a stranger with his face. A stranger who had regarded her with disgust. She didn't dare tell FP that essentially, he was right. Instead, she lied. Because the truth? It fucking hurt. And FP Jones needed that little bit of faith to keep him going. "You will." Lili choked on her words, terrified she was going to say something else, let poison slip out. "FP, we're going to bring them back."

He nodded, but something in his expression- in the sudden far away look in the man's eyes, told her differently. Maybe he knew after all, but was too damn stubborn to admit. That he'd lost his son, and she'd lost the boy she loved. So they were both lying to themselves and each other. But as a family, it was natural. They both hid behind a facade that they were in fact okay, when in reality, they were splintering inside, trapped inside their own personal hell. "I know." he said, and Lili nodded and took a step back, shooting him a watery smile. "Then let me go in." she said softly. "Fred told me you've got some kind of doctor, and if he knows anything-"

He cut her off abruptly. "This man is dangerous, Lili. With his mouth. He's already made Fred punch the wall, I don't want him to upset you."

"I don't get upset." Lili muttered, trying to barge past FP, knowing full well she was going to cry again. "Come on Casey." she said quickly, shoving her way through the door. Lili expected her uncle to grab and yank her back. But he didn't. And she was grateful for that, but it also occurred to her that he was probably fed up. He was sick of fighting, because what did it do? He'd fought for so long, trying to get his son back. And every time he hit a wall, he crumbled. Lili had seen it happen so many times, she couldn't physically watch it again. That's why this guy was going to tell them what they needed to know, or she'd take pleasure in forcing it out of him, no matter what it took. Lili would get her information.

Though when she walked in, Lili finally understood FP's words. The second she stepped over the threshold, she regretted ever walking inside. In fact, all she wanted to do was turn and run, like Cinderella ran from the ball. Except she wouldn't be leaving behind a glass slipper. She'd be leaving an opportunity to get Cole back. She managed to steel herself, grounding her heels into the floor, and took several deep breaths. She could do this. For him.

Her office hadn't changed much since she'd last been inside. Her laptop was still timed out on her desk, a pile of paperbacks she hadn't had the patience to read still stacked next to it, pin boards lining the walls, bright yellow string criss crossing dead leads. There were empty coffee mugs, plates of food she hadn't eaten, and discarded clothing everywhere. Lili suddenly felt- very young, despite her age. She froze in the doorway, suddenly hyper aware that she was still in her dress and heels, and her office looked more like her bedroom. Everything was exactly how she'd left it. But this time there was one minor detail, an added body. Lili saw Fred first. But her father was always welcome. The man stood stock still, staring at her. Fred had greyed over the years, mostly due to stress. He always wore the same flannels, that were slowly getting discoloured, and had grown out his hair, keeping it under one of Hiram's ratty baseball caps he never seemed to take off.

Fred was pale, his blue eyes half lidded as if squinting at her, dark circles shadowing his eyes. He was smiling. But the smile wasn't warm. Lili lost her breath a little. Fred Andrews, always the more gentle of the Serpents, the one with the most empathy. Lili had lost that side of Fred, the man who actually took mercy, unlike the others, when the two of them had lost KJ. Clenched in his fist was a knife, the blade coated with crimson, slowly dripping on the floor, a scarlet puddle quickly stemming around him. And her father's grin was growing, which was more terrifying than ever. And when Lili took a shaky step forwards, she knew why. Kevin kept back, his eyes widening. There was something in his expression that she didn't like. Her best friend's lip curled with disgust, and there was something like recognition burning in his green eyes. He let out a shaky breath.

"I can't be here," he breathed. "Fuck, I- I can't be here."

"What?" Lili managed to whimper, turning to Casey. But the boy's eyes were glued to the figure slumped behind Fred.

There was a man tied to a chair, bent over, seemingly in agony as he let out soft gasps. He looked to be in his mid sixties, give or take. Lili expected him to stay in that position, but when she moved forwards slowly, as if in a dream, her heels clacking on the floor, the man slowly straightened up. And then she saw him- the monster, features beginning to bleed through this shadow of a man.

Cole used to call Clifford Blossom "The Boogieman" and Lili realised why. The man and the people who stood by him, were terrifying to look at. Doctor Curdle, Jr. resembled a ghoul, a walking sack of flesh which had been reanimated, with startling grey hair sprouting from a mostly bald head, and skin that was snow white, which looked like it had been grafted to his skull. When she let out a quiet hiss, unable to stop herself, icy blue eyes flickered to her, suddenly in laser focus. The man, to her disgust, grinned, rows of rotten teeth like discarded chicklets. His smile was triumphant. As if telling her that no matter what they did to him, what he'd done to the Serpent kids, was permanent. "Lili." Casey said softly. It was the first time she'd witnessed him well and truly scared. He kept sending her panicked glances, and could sense him trembling. Her friend's voice resembled one of a child.

She ignored him, even when her brain told her to listen to him, to grill the boy on what he knew. But for now, she pushed the questions into the back of her mind, and focused on the task at hand, her own boogieman.

Her gaze flicked to Curdle's stomach, and her heart jumped a little when she glimpsed a growing red stain blossoming across what appeared to be light blue hospital scrubs practically glued to his flesh. "Fred." she spoke through gritted teeth, her fingers delving into her dress pocket for her knife. Lili felt safer when she held it, loved the way it melded seamlessly into the palm of her hand. As if the knife could push away all her fears and nightmares. Lili gripped the handle, her clammy fingers sliding on the plastic. "You can't kill him." she growled. "Why did you stab him?"

From the look on her father's face, he hadn't meant to inflict a potentially lethal wound, but from the strain and desperation clouding his eyes, he'd been driven to it. Her uncles words graced her mind, and she swallowed hard. There was no way he was dying in this room, not without spouting all the information he had. She wouldn't give the bastard the satisfaction. "FP, there's a med kit in the corner," she spoke calmly, despite her racing heart, the overwhelming urge to throw up. "Can you get it for me, please?"

Her uncle pushed himself from the door he'd been leaning against, nodding. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

She only nodded. God, she hoped she did.

"I can handle this." Lili took several deep breaths, and Fred, to her surprise, didn't argue. He backed away, letting out a soft sigh and putting his head in his hands. She took that as her cue to take centre stage.

Lili couldn't resist flinching when she heard her old name, and it delighted him, his lips breaking out into another rotten grin as he swayed in the chair to an invisible tune. He regarded her with curiosity, cocking his head.

"Elizabeth Cooper." He trilled. "Alice's daughter who went against her own blood and became vermin, am I correct?"

"No." Lili said softly. "My name is-"

He cut her off, his grin widening. "It doesn't matter what your name is, sweetie. He told me all of your names." He chuckled, and her heart dropped into her gut. She finally understood why Fred had stabbed him. The man seemed to enjoy her discomfort, the way she's shifted on the spot. He didn't stop there, chuckling. She felt it skitter down her spine.

"I know exactly who you are," he murmured, raising a brow.

"You're the girl my little project screamed for." 

* * *

**make yourself known if you're reading! please review, it pretty much tells me if ya'll are still reading, and motivates me to write more 3 **


	3. Chapter 3

Before.

The sound of the glass smashing on impact had KJ jolting in Jordan's arms, jumping back into fruition. Over the last few minutes he'd been trapped in a trance, trying not to scream when Jordan squeezed the breath from his lungs, applying pressure to his nose and mouth so he couldn't breathe. But there was something about his brother being touched by that sicko, and talked down to, like he was a little kid, that fuelled the inferno burning inside him.

"Cole." KJ fought against Jordan's wandering hand, attempting to gag him once again. "Let go of me!" he cried, then more desperately, he lunged forwards, yelping when he was dragged back, leather clad arms snaking around him once again. "Cole! Hey, Cole! Look at me!" When Cole only stared at the ground, KJ felt something inside him shatter. He sucked in a breath, forcing himself to stay calm, to not freak out. But it was getting harder to stay a Serpent, and not revert to the scared little boy he'd been in the first place. Everything came down to this. Cole and Camila - tatty pigtail Ronnie and Forsythe - were his family. His siblings. His life. So even Serpent life, even the rules, his own reputation, didn't matter when they were hurt. And they were hurting. Camila wasn't resisting. She had fallen victim to her pain, her own personal agony, and KJ could tell by Cole's eyes, how pale his cheeks had become, that Clifford had cracked him open. "What did you do to him?" he aimed the question at Clifford, who only turned to him, folding his arms across his pinstriped suit, and shooting him a knowing smile which sent bile moving up his throat.

"How about we try that again, Archie?" The man raised an eyebrow. "As you can see, my children are formal. Look at Jordan. Sure, he's a little rough around the edges and isn't afraid to fool around, but he is most certainly my politest. As is Reggie." His eyes darkened, and KJ felt his gut twist. "So, how about you ask me that question again the correct way?"

KJ was speechless for a second. "I…" he drifted off, before Jordan's lips nipped his ear, icy breath fluttering across his neck, sending shivers down his spine and a rather uncomfortable feeling, something he definitely did not want to be feeling at that very second, blossomed through him, a growing vein of shame darkening his cheeks. With a soft whine, KJ tried to pull away, tried to get as far away from the boy as possible, but Jordan only held him tighter, a metal vice grip choking the life out of him.

"Alright, stop the squirming, you're making this too easy," the boy giggled. "The old man wants you to call him father, Arch. So if I were you, I'd do what he says, before big boss Cliff gets nasty."

"No," KJ spoke softly, whimpering when he felt Jordan's teeth bite down on his earlobe, sending him spiralling into confusion, anger, and something else entirely. "Get off me," he growled. "I swear to God, man, if you don't stop what you're - what you're doing -"

"What I'm doing? So, what, you don't like it?" Jordan purred. "Archie, I'm just your bodyguard. I've been assigned to you, so I'm just looking out for you. Got that?"

"Assigned?" KJ couldn't help sounding so pathetic, so completely, totally helpless. "What are you talking about? You're not … fuck, get off me! You're not assigned to me, you freak show!"

"Damn, I love it when you get angry," Jordan hummed. "No, seriously, Archie. Whatever this is, we can work it out when you're …" he trailed off with a hysterical giggle, and KJ could feel the boy's teeth biting down, hard, on his earlobe. It wasn't quite painful. He wasn't sure what it was. Jordan hummed, seemingly raking his mind for the right words. "More ... susceptible, to say the least. C'mon bro, you've gotta submit to dad. If you do, this will be a whole lot easier, and hell, I'll even stop playing with you. How's that for a deal?"

"You're fucking crazy," KJ spat at the boy, before glaring at Clifford. "If you think I'm calling you father then you really are a dumbass." Ignoring Jordan's murmured taunts in his ear, KJ narrowed his eyes. "What did you do to my brother?" He swallowed hard, resisting against Jordan's grip, when the boy pressed himself against him. It felt like he was slowly being choked of air, suffocating on his own breath. "I want you to show me."

"They're his markings, Archie." Jordan's breath was on his neck again, sending his heart hammering. "Don't you want one, too? Hey, Toni's a pretty sick tattoo artist, and I've checked out your design. I think it'll really suit you, because you don't stop fighting do you, hmm? You're a little thorn." The boy's teeth grazed the skin of his neck, and he gasped out. But again, not in pain. Because KJ didn't feel pain. "Archie Blossom. Doesn't it have a nice ring to it? It's a hell of a lot better than whatever the hell those vermin called you."

"Markings?" KJ's voice came out in a panicked breath. Ignore him, he told himself, screamed at himself until he could mentally block out the boy's presence, and what the bastard he made him feel - like electroshocks running through his veins, igniting something inside of him which wasn't pain, anger, or agony. His chest ached. "Show me them," KJ demaded, his gaze on his brother's arm. He couldn't stop shaking, tears blurring his vision, trailing down his cheeks. There were so many Serpent rules he was breaking, but he couldn't help it. KJ was so close to breaking, so close to shattering like his sister. "Please, oh God, show me what you've done to him." If Clifford Blossom had truly marked his brother, then they were one step closer to becoming real, proper Blossoms. And that terrified him more than anything. "Do you hear me?!" He would not cry. Fuck, he couldn't cry! But this? This was too much. He'd lost his father and his sister. And fuck, he was so close to losing his other sister. And here Cole was, standing in front of him, his little brother, about to fall onto his knees in front of Clifford Blossom, completely at his mercy, his beck and call, waiting for the man to pick apart his mind once again. And if that wasn't submitting, then KJ didn't know what was.

"No," Cole gasped out when he felt Clifford grinning, KJ's words echoing through the alley. His words meant nothing, though, the gasp, the quick intake of breath. All he accomplished was moving just enough to where Clifford released his chin. That was all. And Cole hated himself more than anything, because he couldn't fight. Because fighting meant proving he had something to fight for, and he didn't. "Please don't-"

Clifford tutted under his breath, as though hearing Cole beg was beneath him. A nod to Reggie had the boy tightening the hold he had on his wrist while the other hand latched onto the elbow of his other arm, keeping a tight grip to ensure he didn't try to pull free. And when that happened, Cole knew it was inevitable. And then Clifford was yanking up his sleeve, and Cole closed his eyes and turned his head away, feeling the tears fall freely from his face as his arm was revealed. He could hear KJ suck in an inhalation of breath, the shock clearly sounded. And rightfully so. Cole knew without looking, what he was seeing, and he felt a fresh wave of self-deprecation slam into him.

Roses. Vivid, black roses that seemed too real to be permanently tattooed into his pale flesh. They twined up his arms, connected by leaves that looked crisp and fresh. His chin wobbled, that suffocating sensation crashing down around him once more, making his chest ache and his muscles to scream. Adrenaline shot through him, his heart-rate spiking, but he just stood there, feeling the shame of what was done to him radiate off of him. It wasn't his fault they were there, but the fact that they were … the fact that, no matter what, they would always be there … it made him want to die.

"Aren't they beautiful? Absolutely magnificent," Clifford said softly, almost like he was talking to himself. His fingers traced over a rose on the inside of his wrist, and Cole shivered, the touch nauseating and disgusting. He tried to pull his wrist free, tried to pull the sleeve down to hide Clifford's markings, his claim, but Reggie held him tightly, preventing him from moving.

"Stop," Cole gasped, unable to take it anymore, but no matter how he moved or struggled, Reggie didn't let him go.

KJ stood frozen, his eyes locked on Cole's arm. Before, it had been pale and unblemished, just as beautiful as the rest of his brother, but now ... Clifford's mark tainted him, roses covering and marking and ruining Cole's skin.

"Beautiful?" KJ had to bite down hard on his lip to suppress a scream clawing harshly at his throat, waning for escape. As much as it pained him to admit it, he was Archie Andrews again, and maybe even Archie Blossom. The boy Clifford wanted him to be; a monster. A feral beast trapped inside a teenage boy's body. KJ had tried so hard through his life to be normal, despite his brutal training. It was knocked into him by his father to be an animal, to be feared, the villain. And he had been. Since being given his new name, his cover name, he had been the true animal, the boy with the shark smile and glittering eyes, happily sawing off a mobster's ear at the command of his father. But admittedly, Betty Cooper, KJ's initial kidnapping victim turned Lili Andrews, his adoptive sister, had done something to him. Just like with Cole, the girl, while weaning herself into their family, had slowly but surely softened each of them.

Cole no longer had that gleam in his eyes, the one that was feared by many, that made mobsters spill the beans even before they began their torture. KJ had watched his brother become a better person, as he fell in love with Lili, while still maintaining his Serpent roots. Camila no longer had manic eyes and twisted lips. And as for KJ himself, he knew he had been affected, too. Serpents didn't hug. At least, not at first. But the amount of times he'd hugged Cole, whether it was play fighting, or just, well just … because. KJ knew he, too, had become a lot more mellow, more human and less of a soldier, an animal. The night he'd crashed in on Betty Cooper's quiet night in, he'd been ready for blood, craved it, like violence was his own personal drug. But now, KJ Andrews didn't want blood. He didn't want violence. He just wanted his family back.

So perhaps it was ironic when all logical thought evaporated from his mind, replaced by pure animal instinct. Maybe it was what Clifford had done to his head, like making him try to kill his own father, or perhaps it was because KJ was exactly what he feared, despite denying it - despite insisting that he'd changed, like his brother and sister. Hell, he thought, allowing the rage to consume him - he really was a damn monster. Maybe the old bastard was right. He belonged in a cage. He really was something to be afraid of, something to be feared. So … fuck it, right? KJ didn't think, didn't allow rational thought to cross his mind as he threw his elbow back and rammed it painfully into the side of Jordan. The action didn't cause him to let go entirely, but it was enough for KJ to rip himself free and launch for Clifford Blossom, his mind running through all of the things he wanted to do to him - claw at his face, pummel him until there was nothing left for the vulchers to pick off. He wanted to slam his fists into his face until it caved in, tear into him until all he saw was blood.

He wanted to do all of those things, but he didn't get the chance to. Time seemed to slow in that moment, and it was almost comical how Cole's face went from shame to utter horror, because no sooner had KJ processed that change did he feel a painful kick against the inside of his leg, causing that leg to immediately bend, sending him crashing down to the asphalt, the palms of his hands scraping against the unforgiving ground. His hands stopped the fall, but the momentum couldn't prevent his chin from knocking against the asphalt, as well, and KJ felt the skin immediately split open.

And then time seemed to right itself. By the time KJ had the opportunity to look up, he saw Reggie half-turning Cole away from him, one arm gripping Cole's wrist still while the other was wrapped around his neck, keeping him in place. But before KJ could even think about doing anything, he felt Jordan slam his foot into his back, the weight alone enough of a warning to remain in place. And just like that, the anger was gone, being replaced with something that fucking hurt more than anything - helplessness. He had one chance and he fucking blew it. He didn't speak at first, his face mashed into the sopping concrete. The smell of wet tarmac twisted his gut. But when Jordan's boot came down again, this time on his back, directly on his spine, KJ couldn't resist a whine, and right there and then, he couldn't have felt less pathetic. He was a snake being stepped on, crushed into the ground, no mercy.

"Okay, Andrews, are you ready to stay down like a good little dog?" KJ wanted so badly to roll onto his side, but everything hurt. Oh God, everything hurt.

"Get away from me," he managed to whisper, spitting blood. It pooled on the concrete, looking almost coagulated. Heaving in a gasp and sucking in precious oxygen, he groaned, slowly morphing into a growl. This time he wasn't the monster, the top of the food chain. The apex predator. This time he was the victim, the one being preyed on by a beast far stronger than him. "Get away from my brother, just -" This time he didn't suppress a scream when Jordan booted him again, and again. Until he was sobbing, screeching into the ground, praying for - hell, was he really a Serpents son and praying for death? Despite the agony running through him like electroshocks, KJ willed himself to roll over to his back, where he could finally glimpse the stars through blurry vision. But it was too good to be true. KJ's head was spinning, and he was fairly sure he was going to pass out. Black spots invaded his vision, dancing across his peripheral. A thought struck him, not the nicest of thoughts, but it was one all the same; He wanted to die. Right now, being at this monster's mercy with his brother and sister helpless and broken, he would rather die than become what Clifford Blossom so desperately wanted, what fate had oh so cruelly decided.

So KJ looked at the stars, like he did when he was a kid. But there weren't many out that night. He was staring into a vivid pool of black, which was quickly overshadowed by an all too familiar figure. Jordan loomed over him, arms crossed, eyes ignited with madness.

He really was the perfect Blossom, KJ thought, blinking rapidly. It took him a few moments to shake away the three dancing Jordan's rotating around the real one. The Blossom boy's eyes twinkled. "You really don't know when to go down, do ya?" He crouched in front of him, cocking his head. KJ didn't fight back when the boy gripped him by the scruff of his hair and yanked him up to meet crazy eyes. He was in too much pain. So he just stared into the bastard's eyes, and waited for the inevitable darkness to slowly envelope him. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. It turned out he was just as unlucky as when he was a street kid. "Whaddya say, Andrews?" Jordan's lip curled into a satisfied smirk, and KJ in turn, spat out a mouthful of blood, grimacing.

There was a memory there, somewhere at least, which wasn't reachable, but still floating around in his subconscious mind, waiting for him to grab. Casey. His heart ached. The Blossom side of him, the mindless robot brainwashed by Clifford Blossom, had slammed the boy into a brick wall, causing the Keller kid to spit blood. "I think you punctured my lung, you asshole." His voice was a soft whine, a cry for help, echoing in KJ's mind. The multiple knocks to his head must have been unlocking memories long since suppressed, from his time as a Blossom. Suddenly he was back in the Blossom mansion, surrounded by crumbling brick. Casey was staggering backwards, falling over himself, his expression twisted with unkempt terror. Clutched tightly in his hand was a frying pan. The same frying pan that had saved his goddamn life.

His own voice was monotone: "What exactly are you planning on doing with that, huh?"

"Stay back!"

There, his own manic giggle again, haunting him, playing with Casey, teasing him. "Do you really want to stay allegiant to those filthy Serpents?"

"You're a Serpent! Y'know Fred Andrews? The man who you've been trained to kill? He's your father."

He was momentarily startled when Jordan clapped his hands in front of his face, snapping him out of it. And just like that, KJ was back in the alleyway, being battered by icy wind, his clothes glued to his flesh from a mixture of blood and rain. He was ten years old again, but this time? This time he wasn't huddled between Forsythe and Ronnie, singing nursery rhymes to distract himself from the numbing cold. He was laying on his back, all the breath knocked out of him, all his fight gone. His brother's soft sobs breaking anything else inside him left unshattered. "Hey, gormless!" crooned Jordan. "Are you ready to submit, or am I going to have to kick the shit out of you again?"

"No!" Cole shouted, his free hand clawing at Reggie's arm wrapped around him. "No, don't! Don't hurt him! Please don't!"

"Relax, my boy," Clifford said, his voice light and airy, but it was anything but. There was a taunting edge to it, something that had Cole tensing up in Reggie's hold. "Jordan is only getting Archie here back in line. And here you thought you didn't need some form of guidance." Clifford tsked and shook his head at KJ before turning his attention back to Cole, moving forward until he was standing directly in front of him again. Cole sucked in a lungful of breath and held it, and it took all of his strength and all of his will to keep from breaking eye-contact. "There is a fire in him, isn't there? You see it, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Cole asked, fighting against himself to not look over at KJ, because KJ couldn't help him now. His brother was in no position to do anything for him at the moment, and that was a feeling that made him feel isolated and alone. "He's not-"

"You saw it. Don't try to tell me you didn't. I was watching you the whole time. You were trained as a Serpent, but that is very subjective, very single-minded. You can fight, but you fight with emotion, even when you're trained not to, you're driven by compulsion. Your brother, when I'm through with him, will have that removed entirely." The bottom dropped out of Cole, his entire face blanching, paling, because no, no, no, that meant -

"No …"

"Archie Blossom will be an extension of my arm, my weapon to restore order and carry out my will. My son. No-one will be able to touch him without bleeding," Clifford said, smiling over at KJ, who very slowly seemed to be gaining some of his faculties back. "The thorn to my rose."

Cole furrowed his brow, mind scrambling, trying to pick up the pieces of whatever it was Clifford was telling him, because nothing was making sense at all, but there was that word again - rose. "Why do you keep saying that?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

He chewed his lip. "No. No, it's not obvious." Cole meant for his tone to be sharp, but it came out as a gasp. What was he doing replying to his torturer?

"Ah, don't do that now! You're one of the strongest children in this forsaken town! Are you really going to act like you're scared? Cole, we both know what you're capable of, don't even try and act like a normal kid!" Clifford exclaimed, a laugh barking from him so abruptly that it had Cole flinching back, Reggie readjusting his hold. Cole twisted his wrist, trying to get it free, hating how Clifford's eyes continuously drifted back to the black rose tattoos that curled up his arm. But the added motion had Clifford reaching out, curling his fingers around Cole's wrist, digging tightly, pulling him closer.

"I don't understand …" he said stiffly.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! You're smart. You think. You keep your brother and sister alive, do you not?"

"What does that have to do-?" Cole started, wincing at Clifford's tight grip, but whatever he was going to say was cut off when Clifford dug his nails into the tender skin of his inner wrist.

"It matters, young man, because you are the reason for why you and your siblings are alive. The only reason you gave me your name was because your brother told me it first. But you wouldn't have given it up without a fight, would you?" Clifford was staring at Cole like he was this wondrous thing. Not a person, not a living, breathing human being, but this object to obtain, to get control of, to put in a bubble and covet, and it was terrifying to see that glimmer in his eye. "You are different from your siblings, aren't you?"

"Let me go," Cole choked out, swallowing thickly, trying to steady the quiver in his voice. It seemed pointless; Clifford could see just how he was affecting him, could see the fear glistening in his bright blue eyes, could see tears building. It was sheer force of will that kept them from falling, and like Clifford could sense that, his grin broadened all the more.

"I see so much of myself in you. You're a true symbol of my victory."

"Stop!" Cole yelled, trying to tear himself away from Reggie, from Clifford, because he couldn't hear this. Couldn't be compared to such a monster, their monster, their horror, the very creature they had feared for half of their lives. To be compared to someone like Clifford Blossom immediately had self-hatred race through Cole, crashing through his veins.

Was he ever truly good if he was just like Clifford Blossom? Was he any different?

The chuckle that rumbled from the man had Cole squeezing his eyes shut and turning away, his lip trembling.

A hand was gripping his shoulders, and it almost reminded him of the way FP grabbed him, in a sort of fatherly way. Cole flinched, but he couldn't pull away. "Jughead." Clifford's fingernails were digging harshly through the cotton of his t-shirt, forcefully turning his head, and it hurt. It fucking hurt! But he refused to cry out, refused to give up that last bit of pride clinging onto his being. Before he could resist, before he could spit in the man's face or try and pull himself forcefully out of Reggie's grasp, he was staring into Clifford's dark eyes, unable to look away. The man's tone was something entirely else. He could almost mistake it as being soft, mellow. "Listen to me, son."

Cole opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Clifford enjoyed that. His lip curled. "Mr Mantle, this is how you tame a Serpent boy. Take notes."

Reggie didn't speak, which for once, Cole was grateful for.

He wanted to scream. He could feel it building inside of him, could feel it crawling up his throat, but it got stuck, trapped before a single sound could be made. There were so many things he could do - fight, spit, scream for KJ, hell, maybe even Camila would fight for him - but he found himself unable to do any of them. It was as though Clifford had hypnotised him, because Cole found himself unable to look away from him, and the panic inside was overwhelming, and he could feel the tears welling in his eyes, but he wasn't in control anymore and that scared the hell out of him.

"And just like that, you're contained." Clifford looked as though he was staring at something magnificent, something precious. "My rose, my victory. You, my boy, will be my symbol of a new hope, a new beginning where my enemies can no longer rival me. Because I have you. You are mine, and I will mark your skin and show them all how I have finally tamed the Serpent Kids." Clifford's hands cupped the sides of Cole's face, and the act was so gentle, so careful, that Cole realised Clifford truly did believe his words. And that had the tears falling freely. "I will do all of this through you, Jughead Blossom. My muse."

From where he was pressed into the ground, KJ could see a hundred emotions flicker through Cole's half lidded eyes. The one that stood out the most, though, was unimaginable horror. He could feel sweat drenching his skin, running down his face in sharp rivulets, the throbbing of his eyes as they struggled to stay open, weighed down by exhaustion and the overwhelming urge to just give up. Sucking in precious air, he struggled to steel himself, forcing a mantra into his head.

He was a Serpent. He was the son of Fred Andrews, and he was strong. People feared him.

He was a Serpent - he was the son of Fred Andrews, and people feared him.

He was a Serpent, the son of Fred -

"What are you muttering about?" Jordan loomed over him, furrowing his eyebrows. The boy straddled his hips, and KJ was finding it harder to breathe the more the boy leaned over him, crushing his chest. But he refused to go down, refused to surrender to this crazy bastard. He narrowed his eyes and scowled, and Jordan rolled his eyes, smirking. "Everything Cliff said is right, y'know." The boy's eyes were laughing with his smile, pulled, stretched and twisted into something truly horrific, like a clown grinning down at him. The stuff of nightmares. Jordan sat back, and KJ took notice of both of his legs which were free. But they ached like fuck. His breath stank of garlic, tickling KJ's cheeks when he shifted position so his face was inches from the redhead. "You should be lucky he hasn't killed you," the boy growled. "The old man's been chasing you guys down since he lost dear old Jason, and realised Cheryl was too soft to take the reigns."

He couldn't help but laugh, spluttering, blood running down his chin. "What, so his children are either dead or fucked up, so he wants to adopt us?"

Cocking his head, the raven haired boy's lips quirked. "Do you blame him? Your parents gave you guys some serious training. In his mind, you're perfect."

"Perfect for what?!"

Jordan rolled his eyes. "You still don't get it, do you? Do I have to fucking spell it out for you, Andrews?" The boy's voice seemed to drift off into a garbled murmur, almost incoherent, like it was being carried away by the wind still whipping at his hair, stinging his skin.

KJ's gaze flickered to Cole, who was seemingly trapped in a trance, staring through empty eyes as Clifford ran his wrinkly old fingers down his arm, tracing the tattoo's meticulously printed in ivy ink. In any other situation, KJ would think they were beautiful - really, truly beautiful. If he had given his consent and wanted them to be there, a new Serpent symbol, KJ would be proud of his little brother, and embrace them. But … the tattoo's weren't Cole's. He'd had them done against his will, during the year that never was, the year that was lost to KJ, to all of them. Clifford Blossom had done this. Marked his brother, like he was an object.

"Hey!" KJ let out a sharp gasp when Jordan's hand cracked across his face, snapping it back with the force of his blow, causing his head to reel sickeningly as it slammed into the tarmac. Ow. KJ could see stars this time, but they weren't in the sky. Through fraying lashes he could just about make out the drooping roof of the dry cleaners. He was vaguely reminded of a Sylvester and Tweety cartoon he used to watch, back in the orphanage. When the cat would get hit in the head, and tweety birds would circle him. It was rather like that, except there was an excruciating pain rocking his skull. "How many times do I have to hit you to get your attention, huh? Read my lips, Archie Andrews. You and your siblings are never going to see the light of day again. And y'know what? I don't have the least bit of sympathy for you, because Cliff's right. You need to be locked up."

The second slap was just as hard, the Blossom boy's words feeling like razors cutting into his back. But instead of knocking him off the edge of the cliff, where he'd been teetering, ready to let himself be swallowed up, he clawed to keep afloat, dragging his left leg backwards. Jordan didn't seem to notice, having gotten far too into his little game. "Who really are you, anyway? You weren't born of Serpent blood, you don't even have real fucking parents, you're pathetic! That's all you are! Cliff can do whatever the fuck he wants with you, because guess what?" Jordan's eyes were sparkling, and KJ could do nothing but stare at them, letting his words wash over him like a tumultuous wave of icy water. "Nobody. Will. Care. You're street kids, and always will be. And basic human rights don't belong to snivelling little street kids who think they're Serpents. And your little brother? You're never going to see him, or that whore of a sister again. Lemme tell you something, KJ, or Archie, or whoever the hell you are. Clifford Blossom inviting you to join us is a blessing. So never, I repeat EVER, try and fight back." KJ tried to reel back, but the boy had hold of his hair again, twisting it around his clenched knuckles. "He's going to cut into you, and really fuck you up. You think brainwashing was bad? Wait and see what he's got in store for little Jughead. I mean sure, I love it when you fight, Arch. So why don't you try now?" He let go of the boy's hair, shuffling back with a laugh. "Go on! Free shot. Fight for your fake brother and sister."

He couldn't. Not right now, at least. KJ didn't move, letting out a shuddery breath, and Jordan's grin broadened. "What are you waiting for, Serpent?" he snarled. "Come on! Fucking hit me! Show me that you're exactly like your father!"

By the time Jordan had finished, his forehead was pressed into KJ's, and as much as the words hurt him, killed him inside, he had Jordan right where he wanted him; a panting, gasping mess who was far too occupied with hurting him, was far too caught up in the thrill of having a snake at his mercy, that he hadn't noticed KJ free his right leg.

Which was ironic, because of course the Blossom boy knew his skills. There were so many words bubbling in his throat, snappy comebacks or just plain gibberish, what with his head spinning itself off its axis. Despite that, though, he managed to headbutt Jordan so hard the boy lurched back with a surprised gasp. And with him distracted, KJ crawled back on his elbows, before ramming the toe of his boot straight into Jordan's crotch, which worked like a charm. The Blossom boy lost all control, jumping up with a startled and pained howl, and KJ took that as his chance. His last chance to save himself and his siblings from a fate worse than death. He was on his feet in seconds, swaying slightly, lunging towards the old man and Reggie, still with their filthy hold on his brother.

KJ was unbalanced, could barely walk straight. But he rammed himself into Reggie, sending the boy stumbling backwards, caught off guard, abruptly letting go of Cole, who, to his shock, still didn't move. His younger brother who used to be thrilled at the sight of the violence, motivated by blood lust, stood stock still. KJ wasn't thinking when he let out his boiling antipathy and swung his tight fist, too quick and potent, into Clifford's jaw; the impact like thousands of venomous blades piercing apart his clammed fist. It lead him to one conclusion, in his foggy mind: that it fucking hurt. But he was running on adrenaline, on his instincts to keep his siblings safe. At the corner of his eye, the dark skinned Blossom girl was backing away with Camila slumped, sobbing, broken, in her arms. And part of him wanted to run after them, freeing his sister.

Apparently his hit had hurt him more than it had Clifford. To his confusion, the man straightened up with a barking laugh that turned his stomach, swiping at his nose, which was gushing crimson. Jordan was on the ground, screeching obscenities into the tarmac and Reggie was keeping his distance. Cole still wasn't moving. Still wasn't leaping into action, attacking Clifford Blossom. His sleeves were still rolled up, exposing the heavily detailed roses on his arms, stems twined up his arms like shackles. Clifford easily grabbed hold of the boy again, and KJ froze. Everything seemed to come back into focus through his misty vision. Camila was being dragged away, Jordan and Reggie were ready to pounce, and Cole? His eyes stung. Cole was just … standing there.

"You bastard," KJ spat. But he wasn't talking to Clifford, or his men. His hissed out words were instead aimed at his brother, who was letting the monster who had ruled over his life, touch him. "Cole ..." KJ's breaths came out in shaky pants, his brother's real name clawing up his throat. "Jug. Get away from him." He knew he had lost, he knew he was fighting a losing battle. But he'd rather fight for his identity, than stand there like a fucking idiot, and let Clifford Blossom take him. "Jug!" KJ was yelling then, and the emotion was getting the better of him - once again. He started forwards, rage burning every logical thought from his mind. His only instinct was to kill Clifford, and then kill his men. And then every last stinking Blossom until they could live in peace.

"I'd take a step back, if I was you." Clifford dragged Cole back, but his grip on the boy was loose, and almost too easy for Cole to struggle out of. But the raven haired boy let the man drag him, empty eyes staring past KJ, gazing at nothing. The blank look in his brother's eyes was terrifying. It was submissive. Robotic. Everything Clifford wanted him to be. KJ didn't move, but he didn't take another swing either.

Clifford's nose was bleeding, and KJ found himself mesmerised by the flow. If only he could do that to his head. He'd watch the man's brains leak from his ears and then spit on him, for what he'd done to his family - to his uncle. For making him try and kill his own father. He didn't cry, but he was so close to doing so. He settled Clifford with steely eyes, which the man laughed at. He only gingerly touched his nose once again, frowning at the blood speckled over his fingertips. He looked delighted. "See this, Archie, is why you're going to be my weapon," he smirked, cocking a brow. "With a little training, and when I put you rightfully in your place, you could kill a dozen rebels in under a minute, and wouldn't have a speck of empathy, young man. You will just senselessly kill for me. Doesn't that sound wonderful?" When KJ didn't answer, only opening his mouth, no sound coming out, the man chuckled. "Of course we've already seen you like that, Archie. I had you for a whole year, and you shined, my boy! But you'll be glad to know I came up with a fail safe."

"A what?" KJ found himself spluttering.

"Fail safe," Clifford repeated. "Don't worry, dear Archie. I knew Elizabeth Cooper would try and bring you kids back to your senses, so I created a, ahh, I guess you could call it a more permanent way to keep you kids from stepping out of line and returning to your old ways."

"Please." KJ didn't mean to sound so childish, so utterly helpless. But he couldn't help it. "Just please let go of my brother, and leave us alone. We have -" He felt the need to justify himself, even if he sounded like a ten year old boy, stumbling over his words. "Mr Blossom, we - we already h - have parents."

KJ didn't exactly know what he was expecting, but the sound of Clifford laughing, the sound condescending and amused, shot ice straight down his spine. It had several reactions come out of him at once - his face immediately flushed, as though he was foolish for even saying what he did. It sent his heart pounding against his rib-cage, the blood rushing through his veins as anger spiked throughout his entire body, causing his muscles to once again leap and strain as he fought to keep himself from lunging for Clifford. The only thing that stopped him was Cole, who seemed strategically placed, so that if he did try to attack Clifford again, Cole would take the brunt of the hit. And as much as KJ hated Clifford, the man wasn't an idiot. He knew potentially hurting Cole would be the one thing that would stop him from trying anything.

And that was something else that had KJ raging. His little brother wasn't doing anything. There was this blank look in his eyes that terrified him. Like he wasn't even there. Almost like Camila seemed to be. Vacant. Dormant from reality. Where was the boy he was constantly envious of? Where was the boy who enjoyed the fight? KJ's fingers curled into tight balls, his fists trembling with his rage.

"Parents?" Clifford scoffed, lips stretched into a wicked grin. "Oh, you are of many uses to me, Archie, but comedic effect isn't one of them."

That was all KJ needed to hear before he saw red, before he started forward. "I'm going to fucking kill you, you-"

"Ah, ah!" Clifford tsked, his arm immediately wrapping around Cole's neck, yanking him back against him. And just like that, it seemed like whatever had possessed Cole, whatever had him in that vacant place, seemed to vanish. Because maybe it was one thing for Clifford to be in his face, it was something else to have his arms wrapping around him, securing him in a hold. But it was already done, a surprised yelp sounded from Cole at the sudden action. "I would be very careful if I were you, my boy."

"No," KJ snapped, feeling his heart leaping up into his throat. "We are not doing this. You're not using him against me." He didn't necessarily know why he said that, why he spoke what he was feeling, the fear, the desperation, the lack of control slipping once again through his fingers.

Despite the unusual remark made, Clifford wasn't paying attention to him. His focus once again shifted back to Cole, who had his hands wrapped around Clifford's arm, as though he would be able to pry free from his grip. Perhaps the figment of their nightmares was stronger than he appeared, because Cole couldn't pull himself free, which only seemed to insight his panic even more. Clifford leaned in, mumbling something against the side of Cole's neck, which caused the boy to turn his head away, chin trembling.

"No, stop," Cole snarled in Clifford's arms, especially when Clifford pulled at the sleeve of Cole's other arm with his free hand, revealing another row of rose tattoos that had whatever flush KJ had previously bleed away at the sight of them. "Stop!"

"What I want you to do, Jughead, is tell Archie that he is gravely disappointing me." There was a teasing note in Clifford's words, as though he was taking great pleasure in how he was inciting fear in Cole. KJ could see how his brother trembled in Clifford's arms, and he hated how Cole wouldn't even look at him, as though he were ashamed. But he had nothing to be ashamed of! The seconds ticked by and Cole had yet to say anything, and KJ watched as Clifford jostled him slightly, causing Cole to squeeze his eyes shut, the tears slipping through, sliding down his cheek. It was almost terrifying how KJ could tell the difference between the tears and the rain that still fell heavily from the sky. Perhaps that was because he knew his brother like no other. It still sent jolts of anger to surge through him at how Clifford handled Cole, like he was taunting him. "Do what I say or I can make this far worse for you. It's just a sentence. Just a simple sentence. I already told you the words and everything. I just need your voice to repeat it."

Cole swallowed thickly, his bright blue eyes like beacons of light when they finally - finally - landed on KJ. "You- you're disappointing him."

"That's a good boy," Clifford praised, his face lighting up. He removed his arm from around Cole's neck and ran both hands up and down his shoulders, almost like he was trying to soothe the tension and unease that had Cole so on edge. KJ felt sick to his stomach. He could taste the bile in the back of his throat, and he forced himself to swallow it down.

"Get your hands off of my brother or I swear to whatever fucking diety up there that I will burn you." He hadn't even realised he'd said the words aloud until he felt his mouth moving, heard the words come out. But he didn't regret them. Because Cole was looking at him now, bright blues locked onto his browns, and KJ felt the world centring once again, felt some semblance of stability under his feet, because there were flickers of hope in his brother's eyes, flickers of recognition, of trust, and KJ couldn't disappoint him. Couldn't bear to feel anything but safety, especially now. Especially when they were anything but. "Clifford-"

It was the wrong thing to say. Something seemed to snap in Clifford, the teasing taunts gone, being replaced with a look of such anger, it had KJ, against his own volition, take a stumbling step backward. Clifford's hand once again wrapped around Cole, fingers circling around the stretch of exposed neck, yanking him back. KJ's hands wound through his red hair, the inability to do anything sending him in a tailspin. "No, don't! Stop!" But it was too fucking late, because Cole was gasping, his hands wrapping around Clifford's wrist, the panic causing his movements to become clumsy.

"Jughead. Tell this scrum to address the man who is taking him in properly and with respect," instructed Clifford, the tone of his voice completely different from the evil glint in his eyes. And KJ could see it, could see the boogieman, the shadow that constantly followed after them, could see the devil, the reason for all the darkness, the horrors, each and every hurt. He could see it.

"No, I don't - I don't want to," Jughead said shakily, almost like he could feel that energy, that darkness, that insanity. "I don't-"

"Shh, shh, shh," Clifford purred, faux compassion pouring from him in waves, but it was all faked, all a rouse, and KJ could see through it, Cole could see through it, and that … that was what terrified them the most. "Don't make me repeat myself, Jughead." And the sob that ripped from Cole was one of absolute panic. He'd broken. He'd fallen. His hands were frantic as they tried to escape Clifford's arms, but he was too weak, too frightened, and Clifford's arms encircled him, trapping him against his chest, and it only had Cole crying harder, the fake compassion, the embrace a facade for complete control. "Do it, son. Tell him to call me what I really am. Tell him or I will cut your sister's throat clean open."

"No! No! Just let me go, just-"

"TELL HIM NOW!" Clifford roared into Cole's ear.

His vision blurred, and KJ didn't know if it was due to the tears that were forming without his consent or the way his brother was being used as a mouthpiece for Clifford Blossom. His heart splintered open as he watched his brother shake like a leaf in Clifford's arms, watched as he was practically held up by the monster. They had already lost. They had already fucking lost, and this - this was just them scrambling for some small fraction of control. For some fraction of safety.

"Just … just tell him what he wants to know, Archie," Cole gasped out, trying to be heard clearly through the sobs that wracked his body. "Just tell him." And KJ didn't know what hurt more - the fact that Cole was giving in and doing exactly what Clifford wanted, or the fact that he called KJ by his real name. A name Cole had been adamant wasn't truly his.

Clifford hummed, his face pressed against Cole's neck. "Yes, Archie, I would listen to your little brother. Do what he says. Tell me what I am to you."

The warning was heard, loud and clear. KJ could barely speak past the lodge in his throat, but when he was finally able to do so, he was surprised at how steady it came out.

"You're my father."

Cole squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away as much as he could when Clifford turned his head and pressed his mouth against Cole's ear. "Tell him to get on his knees."

"Get on your knees. Get on your knees," Cole gasped out, as though if he said it enough times, it would make this whole situation disappear. If only wishes worked that way.

"No." KJ gritted his teeth, glaring at his brother. Even if he knew he'd already lost, and his fate was practically sealed, he was still so incredibly stubborn.

"Do it, Archie," Cole growled, curling his lip. His real name came out again, just as unforgiving as the first time. "Just…" He let out a quiet sob, shaking damp hair from his eyes. "Just do it."

KJ knew falling to his knees meant giving up, meant surrendering himself to the Blossoms, to being a mindless puppet who didn't ask questions, didn't think for himself. He didn't want that life. Nobody would. So why was it him and his siblings that were fated to live it? KJ felt like crying, felt like screaming that it wasn't fair! He was seventeen years old. What seventeen year old deserved to have their minds, freedom, and free thought ripped away? Like it was nothing. Like they were nothing and nobody.

Well … there was truth to that. Even if Jordan's words had stung like a bitch, they still reigned accurate, in some sick sense. Monster. Jordan had said, and then Clifford. Normally he'd argue back, insist that wasn't true. But from the age of eleven, he had been shooting mobsters in the head, slicing body parts off and … and laughing.

KJ could strictly remember his thirteenth birthday. His assignment had been to slice off a traitor's tattoo, and he hadn't even hesitated, already thrilled with the idea of pleasing his father, and hell, he'd even enjoyed watching the blood erupt from the cavity, spraying him in the face. But he'd just giggled. Laughed. Like it was nothing. With the memory fresh in his mind, he stumbled a little, losing his balance. Cole seemed to be reading his mind, because after a moment, the boy cleared his throat, speaking up.

"We're fucked up," he said softly, his lip quirking into a small smile. "You know that, right, Arch?" When KJ didn't, or rather couldn't answer, Cole shrugged. "You've got to admit that we're not exactly normal." His voice was barely coherent, a soft breath.

KJ scowled. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He laughed. "We're screwed up? Well, sure we are, Jug," he spat, putting as much emphasis on the name as possible, "but can't you see what he's doing?" KJ gestured wildly to Clifford. "He's a fucking hypocrite!"

"Language," Clifford hummed. "Jughead, tell your brother to mind his filthy mouth."

"I …" Cole started to shake his head, yelping when Clifford tightened his grip. "Stop swearing," he said stiffly, narrowing his eyes, "or dad will get mad." There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone, which was a breath of relief.

"Cole…" KJ bit his lip. "Listen to me. He says we're monsters, right? Which sure, I can get. But didn't you hear the sick …" For some reason, the swear evaporated on his tongue, "man?" he hissed out. "He doesn't want to make us better! You saw what he did to us!"

"Archie, just do it," Cole said softly. "If not for me, then do it for Camila."

"Veronica," Clifford grumbled, tightening his grip, his impenetrable stranglehold on his brother. When Cole cried out, trying to struggle and squirm from the man's clutches, something in KJ jolted, and he was dropping to his knees with a soft whine, hitting the concrete, but nothing hurt. Because he was so cold. So numb. KJ was left trembling, regretting his decision almost instantly when Clifford let go of Cole abruptly, and began to clap. "Mantle," he ordered, only for a lost looking Cole to stumble into an awaiting Reggie's muscular arms.

"Good boy," Clifford grinned. "Really, was it that hard?"

"No," KJ gritted out.

"No, what?"

"No, father."

The man nodded triumphantly. "Take off your jacket."

He did as he was told, yanking off the leather jacket, shivering when the icy breeze pulled at his shirt, stinging his exposed skin. All of his dignity gone, KJ waited for the next order.

"Now tell me." Clifford crouched in front of him. "What is that on your wrist?"

KJ stared down at the familiar coil of green, the Serpent entwined around his wrist, cementing him a place as Fred Andrews's son, and a Serpent boy. He couldn't resist a soft sob.

"It's my tattoo," He answered, tears filling his eyes. Clifford hummed, his eyes darkening.

"It has no place in my family," he said, straightening up. "Cut it off, or Jordan will take pleasure in taking your arm."

"No!" Cole was suddenly igniting back to life, his eyes widening comically. He struggled in Reggie's arms. "No, you can't make him do that!" he yelled, snarling in fury. Like a snake. "I'll do anything! I'll cut -" Something seemed to register across his face, and he let out an animalistic screech. KJ already knew what that look meant, and he feverishly wondered if he'd lost his Serpent brother a long time ago. "You can't! You can't make him do this!"

"Why can't I?" KJ's gaze was on his brother's tattoos, beautiful, terrifying roses printed across his skin. "You've already been a Blossom for God knows how long, so why not join you, huh?" And the flash of pain and hurt and slight betrayal that dimmed Cole's eyes was enough to have KJ hardening his heart, because maybe that was a good thing. If things were going to turn out the way Clifford wanted - and chances were, they would, because what power did any of them have at this point? - making himself forget about his feelings, his connections with Cole and Camila was probably a place to start.

"Atta boy, Andrews!" Jordan clapped his hands, snapping KJ's focus back to him. "But really, I'd rather you be a mindless minion, and I cut it off you myself, just to watch you not say a damn thing." The boy came to stand in front of KJ, grinning wildly. "Sound fair?" His gaze flickered to Clifford, and the man smiled broadly, like a proud father to this sociopath. "Sir?"

Clifford nodded, and Cole let out another shriek. KJ took a moment to attempt an escape. He was on his knees surrounded by Blossoms, and his brother was captured. He was well and truly screwed. Though before he could really freak out, or try and reassure his sobbing brother, something hard was colliding with his temples, an explosion of agony rocking his head, before he felt himself topple backwards in a sharp flash of colourful lights which magnified Cole's expression, his horrified eyes, as he was dragged back by Reggie. It didn't take long for KJ to hit the tarmac once again, this time unable to catch a glimpse of the not-starry night. Because all he saw, as he drifted into the dark, was black, and a name wavered in his mind, fully coming into fruition when Clifford spoke it, his voice a low, triumphant murmur.

"Archie Blossom," he cackled, echoed by Cole's shrieks, which were getting progressively further and further away, a cacophony of wordless cries blurring together in his disorienting mind.

"Welcome to the family."

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	4. Chapter 4

Her uncle pushed himself from the door he'd been leaning against, nodding. "Are you sure you know what you're doing, Lils?"

She only nodded. God, she hoped she did.

"I can handle this." Lili took several deep breaths, and Fred, to her surprise, didn't argue. He backed away, letting out a soft sigh and putting his head in his hands. She took that as her cue to take centre stage.

"Elizabeth Cooper." Lili couldn't resist flinching when she heard her old name, and it delighted him, his lips breaking out into another rotten grin as he swayed in the chair to an invisible tune. He regarded her with curiosity, cocking his head. "Alice's daughter, who went against her own blood and became vermin, am I correct?"

"No," Lili said softly. "My name is-"

He cut her off, his grin widening. "It doesn't matter what your name is, sweetie. He told me all of your names." He chuckled and her heart dropped into her gut. She finally understood why Fred had stabbed him. The man seemed to enjoy her discomfort, the way she'd shifted on the spot. He didn't stop there, of course. She felt it his laughter as it skittered down her spine. "I know exactly who you are. You're the girl my little project screamed for."

And a memory hit her, from not too long ago. It was in her first few months being a Serpent. She hadn't known much, because really, it was the boys who had taken the brunt of it. The parents had been away on some kind of cross country road trip, hunting down a now-dead Blossom ally. Cole had reported KJ acting weird but didn't expand on it, until it was too late. Before either her or Camila could really understand what was going, their Serpent brothers were in some kind of manic trance, triggered by a microchip inserted into the back of their necks. The Doctor's plan had been to infiltrate the Serpents with the boys under his control. But then Cole had started to react badly to it, and while she was removing the chip from KJ, Cole had been minutes, if not seconds, from a heart attack. They had gotten the chip out, thankfully. But the fact that she'd nearly lost him left a pain in her chest. Suddenly everything made a sick kind of sense. Cole, KJ, and Camila in the club. Their empty eyes devoid of life ...

As if reading her mind, Casey stepped forward. "Lili, when I sent you those emails, do you remember one of the first things I said?"

She could barely breathe. Tears were filling her eyes, and she wanted to scream. She wanted to slice open Curdle's throat there and then, watching him bleed out. "You said they-" She swallowed bile building at the back of her throat. "You, oh God, you said they had a procedure."

Casey nodded his head solemnly. "He did it when they were first taken. The-" He winced. "...brainwashing. It was sort of initialising it. But it was faulty," Casey continued, dragging his fingernails down his face, letting out a noise of exasperation. "It never worked, Lili. The brainwashing kind of did the job, so the chip just kinda lingered. " He glared at Curdle, but Lili still detected fear in his expression. "The fucker is lying," he accused.

But it must have worked, she thought, her stomach turning over. Because Camila had murdered her father, and KJ had come so close to killing Fred.

And Cole...

Lili couldn't speak. She really couldn't. Suddenly, English was a foreign concept to her. She turned to FP, thankful for his reassuring smile, but she could barely hide the fact that she, like Fred, had already broken. And he hadn't opened his mouth yet. "What have you got out of him so far?"

"Fuck all," FP growled, folding his arms. "All the bastard's done is sing Queen songs, and riled up your father so much Freddie dented the wall."

It was all too much, and she thought she was ready for it, thought that she would be able to push it all down and work through it, but it was more than what she thought she could handle. Tears were clouding her vision and she could feel herself shake and - Cole. Her brother, KJ. Her sister, Camila. God, as much as she wanted to break down in the middle of the room and cry for what was done to them, she couldn't. She had to be strong. There was nothing else that mattered, but them. They did. How she was able to take the med kit from where FP had left it on the couch without dropping it, Lili didn't know. But she opened it up and took out antiseptic and gauze and medical tape and made her way back to Doctor Curdle, Sr.

Clearing her throat, trying to remove the log that appeared, blocking her airways, Lili forced herself to look into the bastard's gaze. His eyes were shimmering with mirth, dancing with elation, because he knew the damage he'd caused to all of them. He knew that he had all the answers, and he was going to do his damnedest to make sure he didn't give it to them. But what Doctor Curdle, Sr. didn't know was they were desperate, and desperate people do desperate things to get the answers they needed. Which was why Lili knew Doctor Curdle, Sr. wasn't walking out of there alive. He didn't know that, perhaps, but Lili did. FP and Fred did. Casey did. They had to. Because after three years of nothing, they finally had something. A move to make against Clifford Blossom. A sign, a message, a fucking promise, that they would not stop until they got back the rest of the Serpent Kids. That they would hunt and pillage and rob and kill and fucking destroy anything in their path until KJ Andrews, Camila Lodge, and Cole Jones were brought back home.

Gently slipping down to her knees, Lili forced her face into one of neutrality as she lifted the doctor's shirt to examine the wound there. Despite the amount of blood that coated the light blue scrubs, the wound didn't look as bad as it appeared. Fred might have been furious, might have been driven to the point of lashing out in such a violent way, but he wasn't a fool. The stab wound didn't hit anything vital, and it wasn't all that deep, despite the amount of blood. The relief that Lili felt was only in regards to the fact that she wouldn't have to work quickly to get the answers she needed. Cocking her head to the side, Lili tossed the gauze and the medical tape back towards the couch and unscrewed the antiseptic.

"We didn't have the pleasure of meeting the last time you kidnapped my brothers," Lili started, surprised to hear that her voice was as steady and as devoid of emotion as it was. Surprised, but very grateful. Now wasn't the time to show fear or worry or apprehension. She had to be firm. Because that's what Cole would do. He'd be calm and KJ would be the one wielding the knife, ready to use as a moment's notice. And Camila, beautiful, smart, amazing Camila, she would be the balance. The calm and the storm, the perfect harmony between KJ and Cole. "You caused quite the stir then."

Curdle eyed her, a smirk curling on his lips. "Why don't we talk about them, hmm?" He leaned forward in anticipation. When she winced, he saw it. He saw all of her, and Lili despised it.

"What's to talk about?" Lili said, a little breathlessly. "You're going to tell me exactly what you did to them or," she pulled out her knife. It was the one Casey had given her for her twentieth, and she treasured it. Stroking her fingers down the blade. She giggled. "Or I'm gonna slice your ass up."

The man only chuckled. "Oh, you do make me laugh." He smiled broadly at her. "You mean like I sliced up your boyfriend's brain?"

"Son of a-" This time FP lost his self control, lunging forwards. Fred held him back, but his cheeks were crimson. Lili swallowed hard. "Tell me what you did to my family, and this won't get messy."

Curdle hummed. "You're all bark with no bite," he sneered. "Alice Cooper's little princess who fell in love with a family of vermin. It's quite sweet, really. Tell me Betty," he spat out her name like he was a Serpent himself. Lili bit her tongue against a frustrated scream. "Is it just the Jones boy you've had a piece of, or do you prefer the whole den?"

That took her off guard. Lili steeled herself. "That's none of your concern," she said quickly, trying to mask the pain in her voice.

The man barked out a laugh. In response. "It's not just the Jones boy is it? Fucking hell, you've had a taste of all three of them!"

"That's enough." Fred growled. "Lili, you either get on with it or I slit the bastard's throat."

Curdle was on a roll. "I mean, it doesn't surprise me, since your hatchlings have been all over each other since I fixed them." He flashed Lili another grin. "Under the control of my device, that is."

"What?" FP gritted out. "What the hell is he saying?"

Curdle let out a manic giggle. "Are you thick, FP? Now, I know you're still a little sore after Hiram got a hole in his head, but you get where I'm coming from, right?" He quirked a brow.

FP stared back. Fuming. "Change of plan," he spat. "We rip off this bastard's head and get our intel elsewhere."

Fred shook his head. "Easy," he murmured. "You know what he's doing, he's trying to get inside your head."

"Get inside my head?" the Serpent spat. "I don't even know what he's saying!"

Lili knew exactly what he was saying. But she also knew how close the Serpent kids were. If the bastard was right, and there was a device then whatever they were doing, was completely against their will. God, nothing made sense, and the small pieces of information they were getting was only bringing about more and more questions. Not only that, the doctor was taking control of this interrogation and she couldn't have that. Doctor Curdle, Sr. knew that they were desperate for answers and he was giving them enough to cause panic and incite rage within them. Pressing her lips together, she unscrewed the antiseptic that she had and poured the liquid onto the stab wound Fred had created before they arrived. The doctor hadn't been expecting it, and the wicked grin on his face turned into a grimace. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat,moving as much as his bonds would allow. He hissed at her, baring his teeth like an animal, and Lili felt her lips spread into a smirk.

"Look who sounds like a snake now?"

"Enough of the games," Casey said, and Lili's head whipped around, her eyes widening, because she thought he had left if the fear on his face earlier was any indication of his discomfort. She didn't say anything, though, when Casey stepped forward, his face pale and clammy looking, but there was no mistaking the determination in his forest green eyes. He was all business, and Lili felt monumentally better at having him there with her. "We know that you were working on some microchip in the past. You tried it on Red and Psycho and it didn't work."

Nice nicknames, Casey.

"Correction: It did work," Doctor Curdle, Sr. sneered, eyes glaring intently at Casey. "The microchip did as it was intended, but there were some complications with some wiring. And the hosts were not cooperating as they should have been."

Lili's jaw clenched as she stood up, tossing the antiseptic bottle onto the couch with the rest of the med kit supplies. "The hosts were my brothers," she growled, feeling her fists curl into tight balls. "And you almost killed one of them."

It was a mistake to bring Cole into this yet again, Lili could see that in the way Curdle gave a wolfish grin, his yellowing, rotten-looking teeth flashing. He looked manic, deranged, and God, no wonder he resorted to a life of crime with how psychotic he appeared. He had no moral compass, no sense of compassion. He was a true mad doctor. And her siblings had been at his mercy for how long? Her heart began to pound with her anger, with her hatred. She would make Doctor Curdle, Sr. pay for what he did, slowly, with absolutely no remorse on her part. She would make him scream and beg and plead and cry, and only then would she even consider stopping his torment.

"Yes, Cole was the problem one then," Curdle responded, nodding his head. "He continues to be now. Or he was. It took some time and conditioning and upgrading on my part, but I have engineered an obedient soldier for Clifford Blossom. He is quite pleased with his him."

Everyone in the room tensed, the air stifling as the doctor's words registered with them all. She could feel it the most coming from FP, and she could understand where he was coming from. That was his son, and hearing that he became something else … it had her heart aching with the fact that he would always carry that with him. Whatever Clifford Blossom and Doctor Curdle, Sr. forced onto him, whatever they made him do, even after they saved him and brought him back home, it would forever be ingrained in his head.

Casey was the first to react, and Lili was once again thankful that he was still there with her. He shuffled slightly on his feet, eyes narrowing. "What exactly-"

"My only true success is Veronica Blossom, though. She was the only one who never caused a stink. The boys were … up in the air, I should say." The bastard took a moment to look around to room, getting a feel for the emotion his audience was giving off before chuckling to himself. Lili could see Fred curl his fingers into the skin of his palm, and it was FP's turn to console him by putting his hand over Fred's shoulder, his own fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. But Doctor Curdle, Sr. latched onto the motion, his crazy eyes more perceptive than Lili had given him enough credit for. The doctor made eye-contact with Fred and Lili knew whatever he was going to say wasn't going to be good. "The mental fortitude on that boy of yours was astounding - and by that, I mean lack thereof."

Fred's face cleared of all expression entirely, and Lili found herself actually taking a small step back. Never in her life as a Serpent Kid did she ever see such a reaction. There was nothing on Fred's face, not a scowl or a crease-line to indicate how frustrated he was becoming. There was nothing, and that … that was probably more terrifying than anything else, because Fred was expressive. She had learned so much from him just by gauging his expression, his reactions to things, and she taught herself so much by that alone, that to see her father devoid of everything that made him, him, it was horrifying.

"What?" Fred asked, and even his voice was emotionless, level in a way that made Lili think of storms on seas. The waves were always calm before the thunder crashed and the lightning brightened the sky.

Doctor Curdle hunkered down in his seat, as though he was going to tell them some grand tale. "Archie Blossom was by far the one who fought the hardest. And by that, I mean, he was more difficult to control physically. Each subject had to be bound in order for me to do the consultations, and I know he snapped … perhaps three or four belts before we had to resort to handcuffs to keep him contained. You made him strong, Mr. Andrews, and while you did a marvellous job at making Clifford Blossom a perfectly good weapon to be sharpened, perhaps you should have instead worked on his mental wards a little bit more."

"Explain, doctor," Fred said, and Lili could make out blood under his fingernails when he unclenched his fists.

"There isn't much to explain," the doctor said with a laugh. Lili thought this wasn't a very good thing to do at the moment, but honestly, she wouldn't stop Fred if he wanted to punch the bastard in the face a few times. Just the thought, the image, of seeing KJ fighting so hard to get out had tears brimming in her eyes, and she fought hard to force them back. She wouldn't give Doctor Curdle, Sr. the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Beside her, she felt Casey shifting once more, his breath hitching, and she was glad that the doctor's focus was on her father, because she didn't want him to see her reach over and gently entwine her fingers through Casey's. "Archie was quite a handful to control before his procedure, but once my creation was inside of him and started … well, he became the perfect soldier."

Fred hummed, and even that sounded monotonous, robotic. He nodded his head once before slowly looking over to FP, whose face was the exact opposite of Fred's. It was almost like the more emotionless one got, the other took, and Lili had to once again remind herself that Fred and FP had been inseparable for a hell of a lot longer than she had with her siblings - and even longer than the siblings had together. Fred Andrews and FP Jones knew each other better than any of them did, and it was interesting and slightly terrifying to watch the two of them have a conversation that was exchanged simply through expression.

"And now?" Casey demanded, bringing the doctor's attention back to them. "How is he now?"

The doctor grinned, a slow stretch of his mouth that had Lili shuddering. "He is a phenomenon."

Lili shook her head and took a threatening step forward, the knife's blade in her hand glistening with the lighting hit it just right. "Enough of these games. You're going to tell us how to reverse this."

"Reverse what?"

"What you've done to them. You're going to tell us how to remove the so-called devices, and if you don't -" Lili started, but the doctor was on a roll, it appeared, and wasn't fazed at all by the way her eyes darkened in her fury.

"You'll what? Carve into me like a pig? You do not frighten me, girl. You entertain me." Doctor Curdle, Sr. shook his head and looked at each of them before his focus then settled on FP. He cocked his head slightly and took in the way FP's face was clouded with pent up rage, the way his chest was rising and falling in quick succession. "Besides, don't you want me to tell you about your son? Do you even care what's happening to him?"

FP gritted his teeth together before hissing out, "Brave words coming from a man tied to a chair."

"Well, of course," Curdle replied, sounding indignant. "I may be your captive, but I hold all of the power. For instance, while Mr. Andrew's son has no mental wards, you trained your son right. He has a fortress around his mind. I'm curious, did something happen to cause such trauma for him to have such a strong fortitude?"

Instead of saying anything, instead of snarling or cursing at the doctor, FP stood there a full minute before he grabbed Lili's desk chair. Lili and Casey both moved out of the way when he placed the chair directly in front of Doctor Curdle, Sr. and sat down. He wasn't doing a good enough job as Fred had of clearing his expression of anything readable, but Lili could see he'd done enough, because the doctor narrowed his eyes slightly, as though he were trying to figure out what FP was thinking.

"You have my attention, doc. I'm listening," FP said. He'd started to cross his arms over his chest, but then, at the last moment, decided against it. Crossing his arms meant taking a defensive position, and that was the last thing he needed to do in that moment, especially if he was setting himself up for whatever Curdle was going to tell him. Lili felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest.

"Would it hurt you if I told you he fought for a whole year before he succumbed to my neuron?" Curdle asked, leaning forward as much as his bonds would allow. "While Mr. Andrews' son is strong physically, yours is mentally. While Mr. Andrews should have worked harder on his son's mind, you should have worked harder on your son's body, because his was dying."

Whatever FP had been expecting the doctor to say, that hadn't been it. Whatever walls he'd built around himself crumbled at what Curdle said, his eyes widening, mouth falling open. Lili wondered if he even realised he'd lurched back in his seat, as though physically trying to distance himself from what he was hearing, because that was certainly what Lili did. She couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her, couldn't stop the tears that immediately fell from her eyes, and even Casey wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close to him, did nothing to stop the fear and the pain and the anger and helplessness that surged around her, suffocating her.

"What …" FP demanded, his voice barely above a whisper. "What did you just say?"

Doctor Curdle, Sr. scoffed, having the nerve, the fucking audacity to sound offended. "You act like I'm threatening you. I've done no such thing. I am a doctor and I am delivering you my medical findings. Jughead Blossom had a spirit in him that was difficult to crack, but like all horses, he had to be beaten into submission before the neuron could take proper control." Curdle adjusted in his seat and sat up straighter. He had all of their attention and he was practically preening. It was disgusting that he was taking such pleasure in their pain. "Before I stopped counting and stopped recording my evaluations, he had been brought under my care roughly eight times before more drastic matters had to be taken. In addition to those eight visits, he's had four procedures done to ensure the neuron was working properly - or to change it entirely - and … I believe two moments where his heart began failing. Those were all modifications that I was able to fix, but he still developed nosebleeds and crippling migraines and a sensitivity to light that we began to realise were signs of him coming out of the programming."

And then FP did the one thing that stunned Lili to her very core - he got out of the chair, went to the back of the room, and started to cry. Her heart, if possible, broke all the more, at the sight. She'd never seen him so torn apart, even after three years of watching him slowly becoming more and more detached, even after watching him sit in Cole's favourite part of the house, staring out the window, waiting and hoping and praying that he'd just appear, that he'd somehow found his way home to them. God, Lili didn't even know what to do anymore. The knife in her hand felt pointless. She didn't even know what to do with it. It felt larger than life, this thing she suddenly didn't know how to use. Her mind was racing in a thousand different directions, but all she could see, all she could visualise, was FP crying and Cole splayed out on a hospital bed, pale and bleeding with a machine attached to him going crazy. She couldn't get the imagine of how KJ looked in that bar, stoic and untouchable. And Camila, beautiful and deadly and gone. She feared for her family and she feared for her siblings. She feared for what would come when - because it wasn't an if, it was when they got them back - they were home and safe again. Would they ever be able to get back to who they were before Clifford Blossom took them? Would they ever get to a place where they felt safe again? The lack of answers had the tears falling down her crimson cheeks.

"You said a year." The sound of Casey's voice had Lili looking toward him. "You said Cole fought for a whole year before … before the chip took hold. What do you mean, doctor?" Lili cringed at the sound of such a formal address, but she smoothed her expression out as best she could. Casey did it for a reason. Doctor Curdle, Sr. was a narcissistic bastard, who seemed like he enjoyed talking about his accomplishments. Their pain was all the fuel he needed to keep singing like a fucking canary.

It was the right question to ask, because Doctor Curdle Sr.'s lips once again curled into a sinister, wicked thing that had Lili's breath hitch in her throat. God, he truly looked like a monster with his stringy grey hair and rotten teeth. "I mean," the doctor replied with a chuckle, "there was a reason he fought so desperately." Before she was prepared for it, she felt the doctor's gaze slide over her body, his lips stretching out all the more. "But like I said, he was a horse in need of being beaten into submission."

"A-And who-who might that have been?" Lili demanded, hating herself for how weak and fragile her voice sounded. God, she had told herself she would be firm and in control. She told herself she wouldn't allow emotion to get in the way of finding answers, and here she was, broken and ragged, hanging on by threads.

"Who might have been what, girl?" the doctor demanded in return, his voice suddenly taking on a tone of affront and impatience, as though he had no time to be asked such questions of clarification.

It was sudden and abrupt, and Lili blinked in confusion for a moment before her mind caught up with her. Her fingers curled into fists. "Who -" Her throat closed up and she was forced to clear it. She didn't want to ask, she didn't want to ask, she didn't want to ask. "Who broke him?"

"Who else has the ability to hurt him?" Doctor Curdle, Sr. asked in reply, and the way his eyes were twinkling, dancing in utter delight, it had Lili's stomach churn. "His brother and sister did, my dear. And it only took one time. One session to completely tear through those walls, I haven't had a problem with him yet."

Exhaling slowly, Lili closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment - a single moment - to drown against the weight of what the doctor said, to feel her heart fracturing into pieces at the gravity of what he said. Months. Months. That was all Lili had had with KJ, Camila, and Cole, while the three of them had years. They'd experienced so much together, had dealt with so much together, and to know that Doctor Curdle, Sr. and Clifford Blossom had used the two of them to break Cole … it was heartbreaking. It was traumatising, and Lili was once again paralysed by the thought of what their minds would be like when they got them back. Would they be able to even look at each other again without re-living whatever Clifford Blossom put them through? Would they be able to look at each other and trust in one another again? The thoughts swirled in her mind, threatening to suffocate her.

She was slow to bottle them back up again, slow to put the lid on the swell of fears and uncertainties that these two details allotted her. Because that was her problem, had been her problem all along. Lili had been so adamant about pushing it all down, because she thought that was the right thing to do at the moment. To let the fear and uncertainty, to allow the full weight of their situation get the better of her meant crippling herself, but that was where she had been wrong. Tightening her fingers around the hilt of the knife, Lili took a slow, deep breath before she opened her eyes once more.

"How do we remove the chips?" she asked, locking her green eyes to his icy blues. For the first time since she stepped foot into the basement, Lili felt in complete control. The knife in her hand no longer felt too big; she knew without even flexing a finger that her muscles would wield it true.

Doctor Curdle, Sr. snorted before turning his nose up at her, the look on his face all she needed to know that he wouldn't tell her - willingly. "Please, girl. You wouldn't understand the basics of what that chip does-"

"But that's not what I asked you," Lili interjected, only inwardly rejoicing at the way his eyes narrowed, not at all liking the way she interrupted him, like what he said wasn't worth her listening to. Because it wasn't. Not anymore. Now, the only thing she wanted to hear out of his mouth was answers to her questions, and nothing else. "I asked how do we remove the chips."

Lips curling, the doctor growled at her, looking more psychotic, more deranged the angrier he became. "I look forward to the moment I get my hands on you, Lili Andrews. I'm going to enjoy taking away every piece of her being, just like I did with Jughead Blossom, you little c-"

Casey was moving before he even had the chance to finish his sentence, his hand balling into a fist, crashing into Doctor Curdle, Sr.'s jaw with so much force, it caused the chair to tip over. Lili watched with no expression on her face as he landed on the floor with a resounding thud before she looked over at Casey and nodded in thanks. Not that she cared what he said to her or what he called her. If anything, at this moment, every single word that Doctor Curdle, Sr. used against her was fuel, ammunition, sticks to coax her fire, igniting her rage. And she felt it, felt it the second the bastard used Cole against her. He was her weakness, but he was also her strength.

Picking at her nails with the tip of the blade, Lili watched as Casey shook out his hand. "Anything broken?"

Her friend snorted humourlessly. "He's too soft to cause me to break my hand."

From his place on the floor, the doctor glowered up at Casey, his body squirming against his restraints. It was the first time he looked undignified, ruffled, but he didn't look scared yet. If anything, he looked as though he were inconvenienced again, and that certainly wouldn't do. "I remember you, traitor. Do not think for a moment that Clifford Blossom, or any of your siblings have forgotten your sins, for betrayal. You'll be praying for death by the time they're done with you!"

"Let them come," Casey replied, his shoulders straightening all the more. He looked over to where Fred and FP were standing - the latter having pulled himself together, his eyes red and puffy, but strong, determined, and incredibly, incredibly angry - and bowed his head slightly in their direction. "My allegiance is with the Serpents, with the Andrews, Joneses, and Lodges."

"Then you'll die Serpent scum."

Casey huffed before closing the distance between himself and the doctor, reaching out with his foot to nudge the man with the tip of his boot. "And you'll just die. You're easily replaceable, doc. Don't forget that. I've seen Cliff with three separate doctors on his payroll before you came around."

Doctor Curdle, Sr. snarled wordlessly, his face blotchy, his yellowing teeth clenched together in his anger. Lili turned to Fred and FP and motioned to the doctor. "Can you pick him up? I'm not done with him yet."

She was slightly surprised when they listened immediately, the pair closing in on the doctor and, after some grunts, they were able to plant the doctor's chair firmly on all four legs. It was minutely amusing to watch as the man tried to save face, situating himself as best he could within his restraints, trying to gain back that poise and power he had only minutes prior, but it was too late for that now. The power was shifting back in their favour, and Lili would be damned if she allowed that power to shift again. She was too angry, too determined, too bloodthirsty to give Curdle another ounce of gratification. Lili didn't turn his gaze away from Curdle when she addressed her father and uncle, his green eyes locked firmly on her prey.

"Thank you. You can head on up. I won't be long." It was a dismissal, and only when she looked up and locked eyes on her father did she give the subtlest of nods. I've got this, her eyes said, and she prayed that he trusted her enough to leave her alone with the man who had caused her brother - his son - so much pain. The seconds ticked by slowly before Fred's shoulders sagged slightly. He nodded in return.

"Okay," Fred said, his hand closing around FP's bicep. "Call us if you need anything." And with that, Fred guided FP out of the room, down the hallway, and up the stairs.

Lili didn't move until she could no longer hear their footsteps, her head cocked and poised in the direction of the doorway, waiting until she was completely sure they were alone. She clearly wasn't the only one, because Doctor Curdle, Sr. started laughing, a slow, sinister sounding thing that no longer sent shivers racing along her spine. If anything, it sounded like the desperate sounds of a desperate man, knowing that he was moments away from experiencing only a piece of the pain he inflicted on others.

"Is there where you start threatening me again? Because it certainly didn't work the last time you tried."

"No," Lili said, shaking her head before slowly closing the distance between them. "I'm not going to threaten you. I don't see the point in it. What I am going to do, Doctor Curdle., is start cutting off your fingers." She expected him to blumber and he did, his mouth opening and closing, his icy coloured eyes widening and then narrowing, as though trying to figure out exactly what she was thinking, if she was bluffing or telling the truth. Her lips curled into the faintest of smiles and she leaned down, getting eye-level with the doctor. "Tell me, as a medical professional, do you really need your hands?"

Doctor Curdle, Sr. snarled at her, gnashing his teeth at her like he was some kind of animal. For the first time since she entered the basement, he was completely out of control. His face turned splotchy with rage, his yellowing teeth clenched and gnarling at her, and when he spat at her, Lili didn't even flinch, which caused the doctor to thrash in his bonds, his muscles straining, the chair creaking with the amount of effort he was putting into it. But Lili wasn't worried. Slowly standing, Lili accepted a cloth that Casey had materialised with and wiped away the spittle before handing it back.  
"You fucked up, doc," Casey said, patting Curdle on top of the head before moving toward the back of the room, sinking down into a chair behind him and out of the way. Despite the fact that he was uncomfortable, Lili appreciated the fact that he was staying with her. She could see how well he was hiding it, but there was tension in his shoulders, the crease between his eyes becoming a little bit more prominent.

"I'll have you strapped to my table within the week!" Curdle growled, turning his head as much as he could to see Casey. All Casey did, in turn, was tossed the cloth in his direction with a purse to his lips, almost like what he heard was entertaining.

"Eyes up front, old man. You have more important things to be worried about." But while the words came out at ease, almost condescendingly, Lili could see the undercurrent of fear and apprehension in Casey's tone. Whatever Doctor Curdle was to Clifford Blossom, it was someone to be wary of, especially if Casey's reaction was anything to go by.

Which meant Lili had to do everything in her power to ensure she kept him down, preventing him from doing anything or saying anything to keep him from sinking his disgusting claws into her. She couldn't allow it to happen. She wouldn't. She'd lost too much, and she had spent three years trying to get it back.

"And you." At the sound of Doctor Curdle's voice, Lili glanced back up from where she was eyeing the knife in her hand, at the way the light reflected off the blade. The man was glowering at her, his chest rising and falling in quick succession. "You keep that knife away from me if you know what's good for you."

"Or what? You'll strap me to your table, too?" Lili drawled, her voice taking on a bored tone. Now that she had him pegged, it was almost too easy to cause his ire to spike. Doctor Curdle, Sr. was an arrogant son-of-a-bitch and it hadn't taken hardly any prodding before he was bragging about taking down three of the Serpent Kids. But that was only because they were talking about his accomplishments, his creations. Lili didn't want to talk about that anymore.

"No. With only a few words, I'll have Jughead Blossom slit your goddamn throat."

"Wouldn't that be a neat trick." Turning around, Lili walked over to her desk and placed the knife down on the table. Off to the side, where a few of Fred's personal items were that had no place upstairs, Lili found a toolbox. Maybe she was stalling or taking her time to cause the doctor to squirm, Lili picked it up and placed it in the seat that FP had moved in front of Doctor Curdle and opened it up. These tools Fred didn't have much care over; the items inside looked old and rusted, and if Lili knew any better, they were probably going to be thrown away at their next cleaning haul. But for now, they would do the job just fine. "I'm only putting the knife away, because you aren't worth getting blood on it. But these …" She reached in and wrapped her fingers around a pair of pliers, picking them up high enough for the doctor to see. "These will do."

"If you even think about coming near me with those-"

The words were barely out of the doctor's mouth before Lili threw her arm out, slamming the hand that held the pliers straight across his face. The sound of the rusted metal striking skin had him screaming out in pain, blood spurting from a nasty cut ranging from his cheek to the corner of his lips. It was a gratifying sound, one that had Lili's muscles relaxing, because it meant she was finally doing something, finally working to get her way one step closer to her family, to her sister and her brothers, to getting them home. To getting Cole home.

Before the bastard could even think about toss another wad of spittle her way, Lilie pressed the tip of the plier under his chin, forcing his head up to meet her eyes. "I would think very carefully what your next words will me, Curdle. Every single, every piece of information that has nothing pertaining to my questions, and I will hurt you. So do yourself a favour and give me what I want."

"And what is it you want, girl?" he asked stiffly, jaw clenched tightly.

"I want to know how to remove the chips."

"You can't."

Lili didn't move, didn't break eye-contact, didn't shift her expression in any way for a full minute as she waited for him to reconsider his answer. Because there was a way. Of course, there was a way. To put the chip in meant having a way to take it back out, and hadn't he made mention of that when he was talking about what Cole had gone through? How he had multiple procedures done, because he kept coming out of the chip's control, of its programming? She didn't want to talk about it. Talking about it meant going into detail about what he'd done, the damage that he'd caused towards Cole and her family. But she had to know.

"You're lying, doctor." Opening the pliers, Lili snapped it closed between the cartilage of his nostrils and gave a small tug until she heard Curdle shout out in pain once more, and only then did she stop, but she kept her grip firm. "Lie to me one more time and we'll see how badly we can fuck up that nose of yours."

"There isn't a way!" he missed out, icy blue eyes wide and manic, and a part of Lili realised she was glad he was lying again, because she wanted to hurt him. This was the bastard who had hurt KJ and Camila and Cole, had turned their minds against them, made them into monsters for Clifford Blossom. With a harsh yank of the pliers, Lili felt the septum tear beneath her tool, and the screams that Doctor Curdle gave rang in her ears and along the walls of the basement, and despite what that possibly meant for her, Lili found that they fuelled her.

Tossing the pliers away, uncaring of where they landed, Lili turned around and looked back at the toolbox before her. So many pieces, so many options.

"What else are you going to make me do?" Lili asked, raising her voice to be heard over the sound of the doctor's wailing. "Huh?" Picking up the hammer, she returned to Curdle's side, gripping his face, not at all minding the feel of his blood on her fingers. "Tell me, in your professional opinion, how many times will it take for me to beat your fingers until they break away from your hand entirely?"

"You - you're fucking crazy!" Doctor Curdle shouted out, blood and spittle flying out of his mouth. No more was the man composed and sitting on his fucking throne of arrogance. His nose was a total mess. Honestly, Lili couldn't even tell how bad the damage was, because of all the blood, but it didn't matter. She couldn't care in the slightest.

"Well, if you aren't going to give me what I want …?" Lili shrugged her shoulders, before walking around his chair. Almost immediately, he started to struggle, his hands balling into fists, as though that would really stop her from hurting him. Snorting, she trailed the head of the hammer along his bound wrists. "Are you afraid, doc? Because you really should be. You have no idea how long I've thought about doing this. And not just to you specifically. Anyone who has hurt my family. Anyone who has had anything to do with putting my siblings in the position they're in now." Leaning closer, she pressed her lips against the shell of his ear, taking great pleasure in the way he flinched at the contact, at how his shoulders curled into themselves, like he could make himself smaller. "I am going to show you exactly what it means to me a Serpent, and how very wrong you are for ever thinking you could cross us and get away with it."

There were no more words after that. No more probing questions. In that moment, something else seemed to have taken over Lili's body, possessing her, taking control of her muscles, and leading her through the motions. She moved without having to think, the hammer in her hand an extension of her arm, very similar to how the knife had felt only a short time ago. She wasn't even entirely sure what she was aiming for, what part of the doctor's body she was going for, only that she wanted him to hurt, only that she wanted to see him bleed. It wasn't even his screams that kept her going, because she wasn't really hearing them. It was like everything had simply vanished, and it was her wielding the hammer, battering at his hands, his wrists, her aim wild and unpredictably. And only when each and every finger was distorted and angled unnaturally did she stop, only when bone was poking out from the skin of his right wrist did she put the hammer down.

The doctor was a sobbing mess by the time she felt herself slowing coming back to focus, her eye-sight no longer tunnel-vision. His nose was still bleeding, tears streaming down his face, along with snot. And if the smell had anything to say, it was clear that the man had pissed himself, too. The hammer fell from her hand in front of the doctor with an audible thunk. Lili was panting as she stared down at the doctor, a smile curving her lips upward as she took in the dishevelled state of him.

"How far you've fallen," she cooed, laughing at how his body shook from both pain and fear - and probably grief, too. He was narcissistic enough to realise his hands were completely shot, which meant his usefulness to Clifford Blossom was gone now. One look at Casey toward the back of the room showed just how right she was. He was staring at her with a look of pride on his face, almost like she'd shown him just how mortal Doctor Curdle, Sr. was. That monster, while terrifying, while extraordinary, could be vanquished. And she was starting with the one that took away her siblings' ability to think for themselves.

Leaning down until she was eye-level with him once more, Lili cocked her head to the side. He couldn't even look at her anymore, and Lili felt the laugh bubbling up inside of her, because if she hadn't maintained eye-contact with him just twenty minutes ago, Curdle would have labelled that as weakness. Now the bastard couldn't even look at her. It was an empowering feeling, one that had her rising to her full height. Being on his level was demeaning to herself.

"Please don't," he gasped out, breathing heavily through his mouth, choking on the blood that was pouring through his nose. His chin was painted crimson, his shirt a mural of bodily fluids, ranging from snot to blood to tears. "I'm begging you, just stop!"

"Oh, you're begging me now? Like Cole begged for you to stop?" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and whatever ounce of relief she had felt was gone in an instant, that anger once again taking hold of her.

"It was nothing personal! I had a job to do, he gave me a job to do!" He was wailing now, a pathetic sound that had Lili rolling her eyes, because was this truly the man who had taken the minds of KJ, Camila, and Cole? Was this truly the man who was such a pivotal piece of controlling and giving Clifford Blossom the soldiers that he wanted?

But what really angered Lili to her core was the way in which the bastard was trying to make it out like he didn't have a say in the matter, like his ability to choose was stripped from him, because that certainly wasn't the case. They had dealing with Doctor Curdle, Sr. before Clifford had gotten his hands on her siblings, and Lili knew for a fact that he'd had months to perfect the chips. She could still remember the haggard look on KJ's face, the blue ring around his brown irises as the chip forced involuntary actions throughout his body. The sweat rolling down his face, jerky movements of his body. And Cole - he'd almost died during Curdle's experimental phase with the chips, electric pulsing shooting through his heart, causing it to almost give out on him before they were finally able to get him the medical help they needed. So for the doctor to make it out like his lack of choice was an issue … it had heat rushing to her cheeks, her hand reaching down to pick up the hammer once more, because that … that would not slide.

Clenching her teeth so tightly, she felt a twinge in her jaw, Lili bent over the toolbox and picked up a nail. It wasn't long by any means, but it was long enough to make an impression - and to cause more blood to flow, because in her opinion, he wasn't bleeding enough. She didn't even give him a chance to realise exactly what was coming before she placed in the nail in the center of his knee and hit the hammer on the head. She jammed her finger, but the pain was easily forgettable at the sound of Doctor Curdle's screams of pain, bloody spittle flying from his mouth, landing on her cheek.

"Stop, just stop! I'll tell you whatever you want, just fucking stop!" Doctor Curdle howled, shaking his head aggressively, like that'll make sense of the pain coursing through his entire body. It wasn't enough in Lili's opinion, but if that was all it took to get the answers out of him, so be it.

"Then tell me!" Lili snapped, pressing the hammer under the doctor's chin, forcing him to meet her eyes. "You already know my question, so answer it and maybe I'll consider stopping."

"It has to be surgically removed! The chip has receptors that are attached along the spinal cord at the base of the neck." It was only two sentences, but Lili felt the dread seeping through her body, causing her eyes to immediately flicker up to meet Casey's. The boy had already risen from his seat, his expression mirroring the horrified look Lili knew she had. Christ.

"Holy shit," He said softly. "This isn't a game! You're playing with their lives!"

"Why the hell is it connected there?" Lili demanded, feeling her grip on the hammer tightening. Her heart was thudding heavily in her chest, both from the adrenaline racing through her veins and from the fear of what she was hearing.

"Mr. Blossom wanted to ensure complete compliance from the children, otherwise, he wanted them killed." Pain was etched across Doctor Curdle's face, his icy eyes drawn and wild, but he looked coherent enough to where Lili knew he was telling her the truth. If it was any indication to how his gaze kept flickering to the hammer in her hands, she had a feeling it was out of fear than a willingness to tell her anything at all. He wanted the pain to stop, and if telling her what she wanted to know was the answer, he would do it. He was an eel, disgusting and wrong and too clever for his own good. "The neuron was devised to ensure their complete compliance. The girl took to it very well. She wanted the pain of her father erased, so it wasn't a difficult transition."

"Keep going." Her voice was steel, as was the glint in her green eyes. It sent chills down her spine to hear him talk about what he'd done to her siblings, to hear what they were experiencing in those moments before their minds were taken from them entirely. Lili's heart swelled in pain at Camila's torment. The sound of her screams still echoed in Lili's mind, the horrified, haunted look in her eyes at the sight of her father lying dead on the ground enough to bring tears to her own eyes, especially when she thought of how Camila had to be dragged away from his body, her hands covered in his blood. It was an image that would stay with her for the rest of her life, she was sure.

"The Andrews boy was a little harder to contend with. It was done forcefully and he fought the entire time until the anaesthesia, which we jacked up to full throttle, took effect." Curdle looked up at her before looking back down to the ground, his eyes squinting, as though he was trying to remember. She gave him another moment before she gritted her teeth and butted him with the hammer in warning. "Like I said earlier, his mind was weak," he continued, sending Lili a glower that held no heat. He was essentially harmless - jus t a disgusting, monstrous old man with no morality. "His body was strong, so he took to the neuron almost as easily as the girl did. I had no problem with him once his procedure was complete."

Her heart started racing. "And Cole?"

"Nothing but problems from the start," Curdle confessed, his brows furrowing, almost as though he didn't understand it himself. It angered Lili that he was taking it from a medical perspective, like he hadn't forced this on Cole, on KJ and Camila. Lowering the hammer, she took a single step away from him and, when he looked up at her with alarm, she raised a brow, silently commanding him to finish. "Two weeks after the initial procedure, he woke up. We had to put him under and reboot the chip. It worked well for a month or so before he showed signs of emerging once more. We still don't know the cause."

The doctor's brows furrowed once more, and Lili slammed the hammer down on the nail once more, lodging it deeper into his thigh. The act was unexpected as the doctor's gaze was elsewhere, but the nail driving deeper into his leg had a cry ripping from his lungs once more. This time, Lili felt no pleasure in the act. Her eyes were burning with rage, her cheeks flushed angrily, and when she looked up to meet Casey's gaze, she was once again grateful that he was with her. His teeth were gritted together, a scowl curving his lips downward, fists balled tightly enough to show the whites of his knuckles.

"The removal of the chips are all the same?" Lili asked quietly before reaching out and gripping a handful of his stringy grey hair, yanking his head backwards. "Is there anything else you want to tell me, doctor? Anything you might have neglected to say?" She leant the hammer down on his thigh, pressing beside the tender flesh.

Whining, Doctor Curdle desperately shook his head. "No, no! There's nothing, I swear it!" He was panting heavily, fresh blood leaking over flecks of dried blood from his ruined nose, and Lili scrunched her nose up against the foul smell. Only once she jerked his head away and nodded at Casey to send for Fred and FP did the doctor jump. "No, wait! Jones - the Jones boy - his is slightly different."

"How?"

"He has - there is a plastic encasement around his neuron. We found that after his … once he fell in line-"

"You mean after he was beaten into submission? Like a horse?" Lili growled, her hand aching with how tightly she was holding the hammer. "That is the term you used, correct?"

Curdle was wise enough not to answer her, his face turning a palid colour as he ducked his head and fumbled through the rest of his response. "He stopped fighting the chip."

Closing the distance between them once more, Lili bent down and levelled a glare at the doctor. It was almost scary how angry she was, at how drastic a change the day had taken. Just earlier she had been staring at her wall of calendars, counting the days since half of her family had been taken from her. She'd gotten into a disagreement with Fred over college applications that she'd found on her desk, and she couldn't believe just how gone the pair of them had been in their despair. Fred had had a vacant look in his eyes, an absence of reality that comes only from a parent losing their child. And then Casey had convinced her to go clubbing, to take a few hours from searching and hunting and tracking down clues and associates of Clifford Blossom's to just forget the fact that she, too, was mourning. So much in the span of a single day, and now they were on a breakthrough.

"I hate you," said Lili, her voice soft but full of so much venom. "I am going to make you pay for everything you've taken from my family."

Doctor Curdle, Sr. said nothing for a long moment, his eyes wide and full of fear - before something seemed to have come over him. Despite the injuries that varied over his body, he seemed to melt into his seat, the fear leaching away until that coyness was once again over his face. His face was sticky with blood, sweat, and tears, but his eyes were suddenly alight with a darkness that had Lili's breath hitching in her throat.

"Oh, I don't think so, girl," he said, taking on a tone that mimicked her own. "You'll never get within a foot of them. They'd rather kill you than join you. Clifford Blossom as made sure they are well-aware of just how slimy you Serpents are. If you think that Jones boy wants anything to do with you, you are far stupider than I gave you credit for-"

Before another sound could be uttered from the man, Lili stood to her full height and swung the hammer, blood splattered all over the place when the sharp end of the hammer thwacked into Doctor Curdle's neck. The next moment was a series of gurgles and grunts, malicious icy eyes glassy as he stared up at Lili, the realisation that he was going to suffocate on his own blood enough to make some of her anger dissipate, but not all of it. In all honesty, she hadn't meant to kill him. That hadn't been the immediate intention, but his words had weaselled their way into her head, spiking her rage, and then she was reacting, swinging her arm back, aiming it at the wide expanse of his neck. The damage had been done the second the hammer pierced flesh, but they had the answers that they needed. That was enough.

The sound of several footsteps coming down the stairs and along the hallway had Lili looking away from the dying doctor. Fred and FP raised their brows at the sight before them, of Lili standing over Curdle's now limp body, and for the moment, the only sound in the basement was of his blood steadily falling to the floor. Kevin pushed his way between her father and uncle, and after a moment of shock did he turn his grinning face back to her.

"Hello, Dark Betty," he said, and it was enough to pull Lili from the depths she had sunk into.

"Any of you know a good doctor?" she asked, her green eyes flicking between the men on either side of her best friend. "We're going to be needing one."

Both men were silent for a moment before they looked at each other, and Lili was once again privy to a conversation that was exchanged through expressions before FP nodded his head once and Fred turned his eyes back to her. Her heart flooded with warmth at the proud look in his eyes.

"You're in luck. I know just the person."


	5. Chapter 5

Her legs felt cramped. Gritting her teeth together, Lili discreetly shifted her position for what felt like the third or fourth time in the span of thirty minutes. Realistically, it seemed as though there was no-one around. They were squatting in an abandoned warehouse, where they'd been told the Serpent - or she guessed Blossom- kids, would be arriving, most likely to carry out an assassination, ordered by their false father. They weren't far from the door, looking out onto the street. They'd only seen one car pass in the three hours they were positioned there, and that was well over two hours ago. Moving shouldn't be a main concern, but each movement felt like a monumental shift, like their position would give them away almost immediately. She felt tense and her muscles were wound up and there was sweat coating her skin, making her hair stick to the back of her neck. She was uncomfortable and frustrated and she had no idea how Casey could sit there and look so calm and relaxed, and no at all frazzled like she was currently.

The corrugated iron roof of the warehouse was domed some twenty-five feet above them, like a shanty-town cathedral. Lili hated these types of places. They were like a breeding ground for rats, spiders, and critters that went bump in the night. Betty Cooper, her old self's fear of spiders had never really left her. But since losing her family, suddenly spiders weren't the biggest of her worries. Yet her gaze didn't stray from the gaping tears in the cracked lino sticking to the dilapidated floor, hyper vigilant for her one weakness. Her fear had always been a sort of meme to the Serpent kids. Before they were taken initially, they didn't know fear. The three of them had been brought up with an ignorant mind-set that they were gods. They couldn't die. That they were powerful, and nobody could touch them. And sure, it had been true at first. The three of them had oozed an insanity, a lunacy that glittered in their eyes. They weren't scared of anything. Even their own demise.

And now, how the mighty have fallen. They had too much confidence. Too much faith that they would always win, always be the bad guys. But now, three years later, Lili only saw them as victims. The once mighty Serpents kids, who instilled fear in Riverdale's underworld, brought to their knees, by their childhood nightmare. Clifford Fucking Blossom. He had been the one to slowly crack them open, bring out their vulnerability, their weakness. Because despite never been fearful, in the beginning, there had always been a darkness in Cole's eyes when he talked about Riverdale's reigning king. It wasn't quite fear, but something else. Something deeply rooted inside him, leached to his mind and soul, a shadow cast over his life. Clifford Blossom was Cole's boogeyman, his nightmare. The reason why he couldn't sleep at night. During Lili's first few days as a Serpent prisoner, oh so long ago- when she was still Elizabeth Cooper. Still a frightened sixteen year old girl, who'd spent the majority of her time screaming verbal abuse at him to let her go, until her throat was raw, her chest was heaving, and she was exhausted.

One night she'd sprung up from KJ's bed, where she'd been tied to the bed posts, lacerations from the ropes binding her arms together, stinging her wrists, and found Cole sitting on the floor with his back to her, raven curls tousled and naked without his beanie. His knees had been pressed to his chest, a sketchbook lying on them. She'd been groggy, her voice a barely coherent hiss as she pulled on the restraints. Lili remembered the sound of playful yelling from the other room, which could have only meant that Cole's brother was playing a heated game of Crash Bandicoot, with Camila. And that left her alone with what she had been pretty sure was a psychopath in the body of a sixteen year old. A lunatic she needed to get away from, before he lost it and killed her. "What are you doing?" had been the words that had slipped out of her mouth before she could bite them back. And then she'd gained a wave of confidence, spluttering; "Are you going to let me go now, asshole?"

The boy hadn't replied. At that point, he barely spoke to her. Only the bare minimum, especially if she started screaming at him again. But then Lili had seen the splash of bright green, noticing the crayon clutched between his fingers, the nib scathing yellowing paper. It had been like watching a child draw. The moon had lit up a sky freckled with stars, a milky white light poured into the room through cracks in KJ's blinds, spilling across the floor in a large puddle, illuminating his face, turning a simple boy- a criminal's son- ethereal, in front of her eyes. It was the first time Lili had found a flaw in the boy. A defect. Cole Jones wasn't as perfect and put together as she thought, his knees bouncing slightly, the sketch book trembling on his quivering legs. Wide blue eyes had been staring into nothing, taking in nothing, lost in total oblivion as he sketched a monster. Lili had followed every stroke of the crayon, every time he'd shook his head and licked his thumb, attempting to correct his mistakes. Until he'd finished. The crayon dropped to the floor, causing her to flinch, and he'd ripped out the page in the book, and held it to the light, glaring at it. The drawing had been almost beautiful, if it wasn't for the grotesque face etched into the paper.

At that point, Lili had figured the boy was crazy. The son of her kidnappers was just senselessly doodling, while guarding her. But now she knew the truth. Clifford Blossom had terrified her siblings, and yet now they stood by his side. His precious Blossom royals, beaten into submission. Three mindless drones. Just the thought made her stomach churn, bile climbing up her throat.

"Are you okay?"

Casey's voice was soft, and he nudged her gently from his place next to her. The two of them had been kneeling behind a crumbling wall for a while now, staring at the gaping doorway of the warehouse. There was no moon tonight. The sky was pitch black, with no sign of stars either. But thinking of stars made Lili think of stargazing, and then it made her think of KJ, Cole and Camila being street kids, staring at the sky and wishing for a better life. The image of a smaller version of Cole, an innocent version, popped into her head, before she could stop it. Childlike eyes gazing at the sky spilling moonlight, head cocked, desperately trying to find the big dipper in a pool of nothing.

Her eyes stung, and she swiped at them, sniffing. "Uh-huh," she murmured, shuffling uncomfortably. A sharp pain rattled in her leg, and she bit her lip. Goddamn cramp.

"Hey," Casey said softly, leaning over to nudge her gently with his shoulder. It frustrated her to no relief that that simple action had the tears overflowing silently, her hands fidgeting with a loose thread in her black shirt. "We're going to get them back. They're your brothers and sister; no amount of brainwashing and torture can keep them away from you well, brother and sister and … boyfriend? Is that Facebook official yet?"

There was a teasing tone in Casey's voice that immediately had her rolling her eyes, her own lips curling into a small smile. Honestly, the thought of her and Cole were to each other was the farthest thing from her mind. All she wanted was to have him back, to have KJ and Camila back. All she wanted was to put to rest the horrible things Clifford Blossom did in the name of his obsession to have the former-Serpent kids his mindless minions, his easily controlled heirs. No, whatever Lili was to Cole, and vice versa, could be talked about when they were safely back with her, with Fred and FP.

"They're mind-controlled, Casey," Lili said, wiping away her tears before giving him a pointed look. "The last thing on my mind is that. We need to get them back first. Everything else will come second."

Casey said something else then, a mumbled string of words that she couldn't decipher. Furrowing her brow, Lili glanced around the still-abandoned warehouse before turning her attention back to her friend. "What was that?" And then she noticed it, the flush of his cheeks, the way he was now suddenly making a point to look at her. "Casey?"

Sighing sharply, but unable to fully suppress the smirk on his face, Casey said, "As horrible as it is for me to say, KJ is kind of hot when he's mindless and brainwashed."

"That's a horrible thing to say!"

"Yeah … that's what I said when I first started talking …"

There was an awkward silence, before Casey reached into KJ's Serpent jacket, pulling out a half eaten pack of Red Vines. "Want one?" He stuck one in his mouth, shoving the bag of candy in her face. Lili shook her head.

"I'm good."

"Oh come on, you love candy!" The boy shoved her playfully, and Lili rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, when I was little." She shuffled uncomfortably, sticking out her right leg to get rid of a cramp. Pain used to be so easy to get rid of, what with the Serpents suppressing techniques, but now she almost felt like her old self again, prone to succumbing to it.

Casey scoffed. "What, so are you trying to tell me now you're the ancient age of twenty, you can't eat candy anymore?

Shrugging his shoulders, Casey popped another into his mouth, chewing loudly before stuffing the bag back into his jacket. Lili sighed and looked around the warehouse once more. There were catwalks all around the upper levels, and it was slightly disconcerting how many vantage points were accessible and how many weren't. Had they truly scoped out the entire place? Were they sure they were entirely alone? Maybe that was why it was taking so long for them to come. Or were they sure that their intel was right? There were too many questions and not enough answers, not enough details, and it was enough to make Lili fidget once more, a grimace once again working its way to her face, turning her lips downward.

"I know it's hard, but relax," Casey said soothingly, glancing at her a moment before his calculative eyes glanced around the darkened space they were in. "I don't trust the structural integrity of these catwalks." He let out a sigh, before leaning back, a red vine sticking from his mouth. "This isn't the most dangerous situation we've ever been in," he joked. "Remember in the fourth grade when we ran across that minefield?"

Lili did. And it still made her cringe to this day. "All for a Pokemon card." she murmured, the corners of her lips curving into a small smile.

The boy chuckled. "How was I supposed to know it was a minefield? We're just lucky we weren't ..." Casey trailed off for a moment, and Lili's head snapped up, her gaze on the entrance to the warehouse. But there was nobody there. Turning to Casey, the boy had his fingers pressed to his temples, his expression twisted with what looked like pain, lips twisted. "Jesus," he grunted, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. "Fucking painful, man."

"Casey? What is it?"

Her best friend's eyes flew open, and he winced. "No idea. Just a headache I think."

"You think?"

"Mmm. Alright, no need to cry over me, I'm not going to die or anything, it's just a bit of pain in my head." Casey shot her a reassuring smile, but it curdled into a grimace.

"Casey, are you sure you're okay?"

Shrugging, he stuffed a bunch of red Vines in his mouth, chewing mechanically. "I will be once I eat my weight in candy." He left Lili to her thoughts then, the only sound being the pack of candy rattling in his hands. When Lili's eyes were starting to go heavy, her thoughts going elsewhere, the boy nudged her with his elbow, and she flinched.

"Casey." She bit back a growl, turning to him. "Ask me if I want a Red Vine one more time and I'll shove them down your-"

"No, it's not that," he murmured. "Look."

Casey's eyes widened almost comically then, his gaze suddenly hyper vigilant. "Lili." he murmured, and upon seeing his expression, she followed his gaze, her heart started to pound its way through her chest. She stiffened, her wide eyes on three shadows that were coming close, dancing across the sidewalk. Well, the shadow's were. The real things were like mannequins. Though right then, Lili only saw figures. Any expression was hidden away in the darkness, masked by shadow, until they weren't. Until their faces were caught in the mellow orange light of the lampposts speckled around the front.

Three faces suddenly illuminated in the darkness, sending Lili's heart into a frenzy. They looked exactly the same as she'd last seen them. They stood together, like they always did, as Serpent kids. But something was wrong. Normally, while on a mission, they would banter with each other, argue over who was doing what, and end up play-fighting with each other. But that was when they were teenagers, of course things were different. But not this different. Lili struggled to stay down, her gaze flicking across them. She wanted to see who they really were, the Serpent Kids, who she was in love with; KJ, Cole, and Camila. But to her dismay, Lili only saw three Blossom royals. Archie, Jughead, and Veronica. Now that she knew what was wrong with them, what had made them go feral on their parents, the filthy, inhumane secret forced inside of them, it was that much harder to look at them. But it had been so long. Three years of nothing, and now?

Now she'd seen them twice in one night.

They were dressed in black and white, this time. The clothes they'd been wearing at the club gone. White shirts for the boys, and a blouse for Veronica. Archie's hair was a flickering inferno, a much older and more mature expression on his pale face, as she watched him stride into the warehouse, scanning for movement. Lili stayed still, her heart in her throat. From her position, she could see them, but thankfully, they couldn't see her.

When Archie lifted his arm to scratch the back of his head, she glimpsed the all too-familiar tattoo of thorns twined around his arm, crimson shackles binding him to the Blossom's whether he liked it or not.

"Nobody here." he said, and his voice hurt her. There was nothing there, barely any tone. The redhead turned to his siblings, and there were Jughead and Veronica. They stood, the two of them far too close. It struck Lili that Archie and Veronica were standing in the exact same stance, their arms dangling by their sides, fists clenched ready for a fight, if one was to come. But Jughead's arms were folded across his chest, and while his siblings were unblinking, he was doing the opposite, his eyelids flickering erratically, as if he had something caught in his lashes. Reaching up, he swiped at them, his rose tattoos moving up and down his bare arms in the flittering light, writhing, like they were real roots, retraining him. Cole still looked beautiful, despite being a Blossom. He was noticeably older, on the cusp of twenty years old. His olive skin shined with perspiration, strands of raven hair sticking to his forehead while green eyes shone an electric blue hue which was almost tantalising, hypnotising to her.

He was the exact opposite to when she'd first met him, and oh- that boy had been beautiful too; a ragged looking teenage boy with shining eyes, a twisted smile, and clothes that looked like they'd seen better days. But as much as he'd been manufactured into a solider, it was still Cole. Behind those eyes, he was still there.

"Right," Casey whispered, slowly starting to get up. "We got this."

Archie pulled out a knife from his belt, his fingers stroking up the blade, and Lili felt the boy stiffen. He let out a breath and lowered himself. "Okay, we haven't got this," he muttered. Lili nodded slowly. They definitely didn't have this. Archie's fingers tightened around the knife. Lili suddenly had a sickening thought that perhaps the boy knew they were here already. But his brown eyes ringed with cerulean didn't land on her.

"Intel says the traitor is on the move," he said, in that same toneless drone. He nodded at Jughead and Veronica "You two go and grab him, and I'll stay here and keep a lookout."

"Okay," Jughead said, far too quickly. He turned to join his sister, who nodded, straying strands of raven hair dangling in dead eyes. But to Lili's confusion, Jughead stumbled, nearly tripping over his feet. He managed to right himself quickly, straightening up. Lili wanted to believe he was free of the control, but the look in his eyes said otherwise, and despite his clumsiness, it seemed that he still wasn't all there behind the eyes. Lili didn't realise she was ready to jump out of hiding, before Casey's hands clamped down on her shoulders, shoving her back down before she could start yelling.

"Don't," Casey muttered in her ear. "It's not him, Lils."

"You don't know that!"

"Damage report, Jughead," Archie said. "Father wants to know why you seem off your game."

"I hit my head during the last mission," the raven-head replied, and Lili definitely saw him wince. His eyelid flickered, slight expression returning. "Damage to the neuron is possible, so I will pay Doctor Curdle Senior a visit when we return home."

"Not likely," Casey scoffed. "See? He's still a total sheep, Lili."

Before she could try and argue, Jughead and Veronica were sprinting off, leaving Archie staying in the same position. His gaze didn't leave the retreating figures of his siblings. Lili exhaled. "We grab him," she said, and to her surprise, Casey nodded.

"Right. We grab one, and wait for the others, right?"

"Yeah." Lili couldn't breathe. Her brother was so close, and the only thing stopping her from running towards him and flinging her arms around the boy, was the hunk of metal stuck in his neck. She straightened up. "We do this quickly, okay?" Lili stuffed her hands in her pocket, her fingers curling around the syringe her father had dropped into her hands. Horse tranquilliser, he'd explained. Not fatal to humans, but strong enough to bring down a Serpent kid who had been turned into a mindless Blossom soldier.

Her hands were shaking as she slowly stood up, bringing Casey with her. Lili had rehearsed the moment so many times, when she'd speak to her brother. Try and reason with him. But in all of those daydreams, his knife always ended up lodged in her heart, and while she choked on blood, rivulets of crimson staining her teeth and dribbling down her chin as he stood over her, a blank look in vacant brown eyes, watching her, waiting for her to die. She remembered the last thing he ever said to her, with wide eyes glistening with tears, and lips that wanted to say so much more; "Until next time."

And this- this was next time. Three years later, and KJ's voice still haunted her thoughts. But instead of fuelling her fear, it motivated her to stand up and get her fucking brother back. "Hey!" Lili was grabbing Casey's arms and striding forwards before she could help it. There was a name on her lips. KJ. But the boy standing in front of her didn't deserve that name. Her chest tightened when the boy's head snapped around, eyes flashing. But he didn't smile, or scowl. He simply regarded her with mild curiosity. She passed Casey the syringe behind her back, and the boy took it quickly, shoving it in his pocket. They'd gone over the plan repeatedly, but there was a chance of it going wrong, and when first making it, she'd been sure all three Serpent kids would be present.

"Elizabeth Cooper," Archie droned, taking a step forwards. But she refused to take one back. "A traitor to my father, and my family, as well as her own blood." His gaze flickered to Casey. "And Kevin Keller. The Blossom born who sided with the vermin."

Casey rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the exposition," he muttered. He took an uncertain step forwards. "C'mon Andrews, we know you're in there somewhere." His voice was shaking, and Lili realised she'd never heard her best friend sound scared. Fearful.

Upset.

Archie cocked his head, ignoring the boy. His gaze was stuck to Lili, and if he was capable of smiling, he'd be grinning. "My father wasn't sure when you'd turn up," he said. "I think he'll be happy to know that you finally turned yourselves in."

Lili curled her lip. "So what, you're going to take us back to that prison?" Her heart clenched.

Archie shook his head. "No, Elizabeth. You are an enemy of my father, and will be dealt with accordingly."

She nodded, taking steps back, spreading out her arms. Too much confidence. But this was exactly what the Serpents did. "Alright then, so come and get me."

She regretted the words the second they slipped out of her mouth, when Archie lunged towards her, swinging the knife, which glittered in the din. Her Serpent training kicked in, and thank god it did. She hadn't fought for a while, so she was a little rusty. But when Archie aimed a fatal stab to her chest, she quickly grabbed his arm which was holding the weapon, twisting it. He didn't howl in pain, or gasp out. But he did drop it. With him disarmed, Lili aimed a punch to his temples, which he promptly blocked, kicking her in the gut, sending her to her knees, panting. It took a second for her to see the knife, but before she could grab it, he stamped on her foot, and she screamed.

It was a loud, agonising scream which tore through the air. Archie ducked to her height and pulled the knife from her fingers. "You should have stayed with family, Betty."

"With my psycho mom?" she spluttered. "No thanks." jumping up, she mananged to steel herself, aiming a kick to his crotch. But he dodged it easily, and her heart splintered. In training, she'd memorised all of KJ's moves. But these were different. Her brother had fought to stun, but this boy's intention was to kill. Lili struggled under his weight when he pinned her on her back, teasing the blade over her heart. But she didn't say anything. Because even if it was an accident, even if she'd risked her life for this, Archie Andrews was right where she wanted him to be.

Casey didn't waste time. When Archie lifted the knife to plunge into her, Casey stabbed the point of the syringe into the back of his neck, before stumbling back, falling to his knees. She waited for the boy to collapse, for his eyes to roll to the back of his head. But Archie didn't even blink. Instead, he reached to pull the needle out, which was protruding from his neck, before flinging it over his shoulder. Lili gaped. Casey cursed, and tried to catch the boy off guard, aiming a hit to his face. But Archie's reflexes were too fast, almost supernaturally fast. With one swift hit, Casey was on his back with a broken nose. It was enough to scare the boy into staying down, hissing in pain. "What the fuck, Andrews?"

"Stay," Archie told the boy, and Casey did, rolling onto his front to curse into the floor.

"You look surprised, Betty," Archie murmured, turning back to her, that ethereal light shining through his eyes. "My father made us indestructible. So whatever Kevin Keller just forced into my bloodstream, it will not hurt me."

"Jesus Christ," Casey moaned. "We're screwed. We're fucking dead. We're so, fucking dead."

Casey was right. The psycho doctor hadn't mentioned that he'd altered her siblings so much, that they might as well be made of metal. Tears burned in her eyes, and she choked them back. "Please," she whispered. "Please, if - if you're in there, KJ, I need you to f-fight it, okay?" When his expression didn't falter, she screamed until her lungs burned. Her heart was an inferno. Her brother really was gone this time, and there was nothing she could do about it. His eyes were glassy, nothing behind them. Lili squeezed her eyes shut, so she didn't have to look at him. "Please," she said. "I need you to come back. I need you to come back to me." her voice was betraying her, the tears rolling down her cheeks- everything she said she wouldn't do- she was breaking every Serpent rule.

Archie cocked his head. "I don't know who that is, but I promised my father that I'll make your death painful, Snake. So stop struggling."

Lili waited for the burst of pain in her chest, the blood choking her mouth, as he stared down at her, waiting for her to die. But she wouldn't. She'd keep fighting until he'd twist the blade, shoving it in again, and again. Until she stayed down. Until her eyes flickered shut. And then Veronica and Jughead would join him, their eyes devoid of life, before the three of them made their way to Clifford Blossom's car. He'd make remarks on their tattoos, forcing them to take their jackets off, and expose themselves.

She prayed- oh god she prayed that Jughead wasn't like them. While their hands were still, his were in his lap, fingernails digging into the skin of his palms. His teeth would be gritted; "Find me, Lili." he'd keep saying, over and over again in his head.

"Find me."

And she had. She had found him. In a world full of black and white, where she'd dwelled for the last three years- suddenly, there was colour. And no matter how much he had changed, he was still here, cast in ultraviolet rays, his mind covered with a shroud of impenetrable darkness. So close, yet so, so fucking far away from her.

So maybe she was imagining it when her eyes flew open at the sound of breath flitting through her brother's lips. Archie's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and when she glimpsed through fraying lashes, she realised that the boy had been hit from behind, his body slumping forwards. It was like deja vu. This had happened before. Grabbing her bearings, Lili expected Casey to be looming over her, having hit the boy with a frying pan he'd been hiding all this time. But it wasn't Casey. The boy standing over her was trembling, his arms wrapped around himself, a trickle of scarlet running from his nose. His hair was stuck to his forehead, and he was pale. He was so, so pale. Though there was still a blankness in his eyes she couldn't ignore, even when tears were sliding down his cheeks, and he was stumbling, swaying, blood spattering the bottom half of his face. If it hadn't have been so horrifying, Lili might have found it beautiful. The blood shined in the din of the warehouse, veins of it streaking down glistening, olive cheeks.

"Get up," Cole said quickly, grabbing her arm and yanking her to her feet. Lili stared at him, her lips moving, but no sound coming out.

"Jones?" Casey was back on his feet, swaying slightly. "Wait, are you-"

"I don't- I don't have much time," Cole gasped out, swiping his bloody nose, wincing. He fell to his knees beside Archie, turning the boy over to his back, his fingers trailing over the redhead's neck, brushing strands of hair away, revealing a line of stitches. Lili's heart flipped over in her chest. "You need to save my brother," he said softly, looking up to meet eyes with Lili. "Please. Please get it out of him."

Before she could reply, the boy twitched, his eyelids flickered again, pain etching across his expression. He jumped to his feet, tearing at his hair, scarlet smearing his face. "You need to go," he said in a gasp of breath. "Take KJ and run."

Casey nodded, tearing off his jacket and laying it over the redhead, before scooping the Serpent boy into his arms with a grunt. "Jesus fuck, Andrews, you weigh a tonne."

Lili ignored Casey, and shook her head, glaring at Cole. "No." When Cole's eyes narrowed, she exhaled. "I'm not leaving you again."

The boy blinked at her, before he swiped feverishly at his eyes. "Look," he said softly. "Lili, I'll hurt you if you come any closer. He'll make me fucking hurt you, and I can't hold on, okay?" Cole let out a strangled sob. "It's a miracle the chip keeps failing, but it's killing me, Betty, I- I mean Lili. Elizabeth. Betty. Lili. Elizabeth. Betty-" It was almost like he was - glitching. Words were pouring from his lips in a rush of breath, before he could stop them. But Lili wasn't scared. She swallowed her own cry, which was tearing through her mouth, and took gentle steps towards the trembling boy.

Cole fell to his knees, blood gushing from his nose, and Lili dropped in front of him, grabbing his hands and pressing her forehead against his.

"It hurts," he whispered, and she nodded, choking on her own sobs.

"I know."

"You're not scared of me?"

Lili shook her head, her hands moving to cradle his cheeks, bringing him closer. He stared at her dazedly, green eyes flickering, crimson staining his face and the cuffs of his sleeves. "Cole," she spoke softly. "When I first met you, I was terrified of you." She allowed herself to laugh, and to her surprise, the boy spluttered too, falling into her, sobs wracking his chest.

"It hurts..." he continued to whimper repeatedly, in a gush of pained breath, his quaking body rattling against hers. She continued, running her hands through his hair, leaning close, her lips scathing his. They were salty, and she could taste blood. But they were his. They were oh, so his.

"But the things I've done to get you back? Cole, I don't think any of us are the good guys anymore."

She was right. Neither of them were good, or bad. They were purely in the grey, willing to do anything to get their family back.

She felt more than saw his brows scrunch up, and her hands instinctively tightened around him when she felt him shift. Her heart lifted to her throat, panic welling inside of her, because she couldn't lose him again, couldn't stand to part from him, but he was only moving closer, shifting to where she could feel his shaky exhalation on her lips. Lili felt tears rolling down the sides of her face when his eyes flitted closed.

"I missed you so much." And the amount of emotion in his voice was enough to break her heart all over again. "I waited, Lili. All the time I was awake, I waited for you, and dad, and-" he choked up, shaking his head. "You said you'd come and find me."

"I don't mean to break up whatever this is up," Casey interjected. "But Lili, we've gotta go. Andrews could wake up any second, and he'll kill us. You know he will." The boy exhaled. "And not to be the bearer of bad news, but Cole doesn't seem very-"

"Don't," Lili spat, twisting to her friend. "He's coming with us, Casey. I'm not leaving him behind again. Do you hear me?" Frustrated tears burned in her eyes. "He needs his father, Casey. He needs to go home! Look at him!"

The feel of Cole's hands reaching up and cupping the sides of her neck was enough to draw Lili's attention back to him, and the way she so easily lost herself in him was terrifying. And in that moment, she knew she would bring the whole damn world to its knees if it meant keeping him safe. But then she caught the look in his eyes and she felt her tensing.

"Lili -"

"No," she snarled, burying her fingers in his hair, keeping him as close to her as possible. "Cole, no."

"It's okay," he whispered against her lips, his eyes still closed, like he knew if he opened them and saw her, his resolve would crumble. God, she needed him to look at her. "I know you'll come back for me."

"Again?!" she squeaked. "This is the third time I'm losing you, the third time!"

"I'm with Jones," Casey muttered. "We take KJ back to the dads, and then we come back for Jones and Lodge."

"That's not-" If Lili wasn't cradling Cole, she'd punch Casey in the face. "Are you serious? We can't leave him again!"

Cole scoffed, and she turned back to his soft smile, even when the ominous glow in his eyes was still present, a ring of flickering cerulean. His calmness was enough to relax her, slightly. "Don't talk about me as if I'm not here," he murmured. "Lili, I'm not stable right now. This- this thing inside my head could take control at any point."

"I don't care," she said, and Lili meant it. Cole looked confused for a second, before she grabbed his face, and pulled him closer to her, pressing her lips to his. He tasted like salt and blood, the tinge of rusty coins hitting her own lips. But she revelled in it, his scent, his taste. Just … him. When he kissed back softly, feebly, she turned desperate, and it felt good - right. Lili loved the way his body melted into hers, and as adults, it felt like so much more. Like they were two jigsaw pieces fitting together. Cole pulled away after a second, gasping softly, eyes wide and dazed. But then he kissed her this time, cradling her. And she had never felt more content. The last three years seemed to dissipate in her mind. She was seventeen again, kissing the Serpent boy on the edge of the pool under a moonlit sky, the stink of chlorine stinging her nose, his forehead pressed against hers with urgency, silently begging her to never let go.

"Lili." Casey's voice startled her. "If you could stop lip-locking Mr Brainwashed for like two seconds..." he trailed off, and the two of them jumped apart. Her eyes fluttered open, and Cole was staring at her, blue eyes wide. He let out a shaky breath when she reached out, swiping a loose curl from his forehead, he flinched slightly.

She stood up, helping the boy to unsteady feet, only to be face to face with Casey, who was backing away, clutching her unconscious brother to his chest. His eyes were almost cartoon-like, stuck to something behind them. Or someone.

"Elizabeth Andrews." The voice was unmistakably her sister. Both Lili and Cole turned to her. The girl was standing a few feet away, staring at them with empty eyes. "You're touching my brother. Nobody touches my brother, under my father's orders."

Cole, to Lili's surprise, shuffled away from her. Veronica's gaze flickered to Casey holding KJ. "What are you doing with Archie?" Something twisted in her expression, like actual anger.

Casey stood his ground, gritting his teeth. "Keeping him the hell away from you, and your psychotic so-called father," he growled back. "Stay back, sweetie."

The girl hummed, before her eyes went back to Cole. "Jughead, you said you reported damage to your neuron." Her lip curled. "You appear to be awake. Father won't like that."

"We're getting out of here, now," Casey said quickly, surging towards Lili. "Lils, we have to go."

She nodded, grabbing Cole's hand. When he pulled away, her heart splintered. "I'll distract her so you can get my brother out of here," he said, and when she opened her mouth to protest, he chuckled, pulling her close, and kissed her again. And when Veronica let out a sharp breath, he shot her the finger, keeping his forehead pressed to Lili's.

"You trust me, right?" he murmured. At the corner of Lili's eye, Veronica was walking towards them, a deadly glint in her otherwise lifeless eyes.

"Not really." Lili choked on a laugh, and the boy shook his head. "Just get KJ out of here."

"But-"

"Lili." Cole shot her a smile, but it was half-hearted. She could tell he didn't want to do this. "Are you telling me I can't take my own sister?"

"Hey!" Casey yelled. "Lils, we've gotta go!"

She hated goodbyes. Hated them. So Lili didn't say anything, only stumbled away, forcing her legs to keep going. She walked backwards, watching Cole advance towards Camila, who automatically aimed a punch to his chest, knocking him to the ground. But once on the ground, he booted her in the gut with both of his legs, leaping back to his feet. Part of Lili loved the way he was fighting back, seeing that spark, that inferno that was Cole Jones, come into fruition. They made it back to the car, after exiting the warehouse. Lili was still watching the fight. Camila had Cole on his back, pinning him to the ground. But he swiped at her face, two swift hits which she easily blocked.

Casey gently lay KJ across the back seat, pausing to run his fingers through the boy's hair. "It's weird," he said breathlessly, to Lili, who was still staring, almost trance-like, at the Serpent fight. "I remember when I first properly met this red-haired bastard, and there was something about him...something I understood." Shaking his head, Casey dove into the driver's seat. "Get in, Lili."

She didn't. "He's coming," she whispered, her gaze following Cole as he grabbed the girl by her hair and kneed her in the gut, sending her sprawling across the pavement before he turned around and started running towards her, towards the car. But she didn't stay down. Before Lili could cry out, Camila was coming up behind him, slamming her fists into Cole's temples - and this time he went down, and didn't get back up.

"No!" The cry ripped from her throat, and she lunged forwards to go after him. Camila had straddled him, pressing his face into the concrete. Lili howled when Casey's hands gripped her wrist, yanking her into the car, slamming the door shut. Which meant so much more, in her deteriorating mind. Casey was slamming the door on Cole forever, leaving him to the mercy of Clifford Blossom and his mindless sister. She pounded on the glass, but the boy stepped on the gas, nearly sending KJ rolling off the seat. For just one disorienting second, she thought about knocking Casey out, and wrestling to get hold of the steering wheel.

But then logic settled in, overriding the hurricane exploding in her mind. She already had one brother. KJ was safe - curled up in the backseat underneath Casey's jacket. If she freaked out now, she could lose him, too. Lili's pounding fists stopped, slipping on the glass, and she slammed her head into the window instead, and let herself break.

* * *

He just needed to distract her for a few minutes, just long enough for Lili and Casey to get KJ out of there. That was it. Pulling away from Lili was one of the hardest things he had to do, but in that moment, it was the only thing that made sense. Logically, he knew that he was making the right decision. His head wasn't right, and he could feel the pressure building in his temples, the piercing pain that made him want to fold into himself, but he couldn't do that. So he did the only thing he could think of - he fought. Veronica was coming and Cole took a running start, meeting her halfway there. From behind him, he could hear Lili screaming, Casey's barking orders, and he hoped that Lili would listen and go, because they had KJ, and if they were able to save him … it would change everything.

In any other circumstance, Cole would embrace the adrenaline coursing through his veins, would take pleasure in the way his muscles screamed for activity, but the second Veronica's punch landed, the hit to the chest forcing all of the air from his lungs, knocking him immediately to the ground, he had to admit that he'd seen better days. But he didn't have time to wait, didn't have time to hesitate, because Veronica was still coming, and Cole had to push the fact that this was his sister away as he lifted his legs and slammed them into her stomach, the momentum taking her to the ground, as well. Jumping to his feet, Cole squared his stance, fighting back a wave of dizziness that slammed into him almost as forcefully as one of Veronica's kicks. Blinking away the fog that was settling over his eyes, Cole narrowly dodged her fist. Shifting quickly to the side, Cole grabbed her head and, after sucking in a lungful of breath, he forced his knee up while simultaneously yanking her head down, the two connecting with a painful clap that it had him flinching. Veronica dropped almost immediately.

Stumbling backward, Cole quickly turned around and started rushing toward the exit of the warehouse. He could see Lili standing there by the car, and while a part of him welled with frustration that she was still there, that she hadn't left, another part of him - the more dominant part of him - was just glad that she was still there, that she was stubborn enough to want to wait. But he should have known it was too good to be true, because he made it … maybe ten steps before he felt her presence a moment too late, and then there was an explosion of pain in his temples, and before he even knew what was happening, Cole was on the cold, dirty ground of the warehouse with Veronica on top of him.

"No!" Lili's voice cried out, ringing out somewhere in his mind, but all he felt was pain. It was a wonder he was even still fighting - or attempting to. He could barely see straight, the pressure in his temples enough to have his eyes watering.

His fists flew out, and it was merely out of desperation than anything that he was even trying to connect to any part of her body, because Lili still needed to get away with KJ, she still needed a few more moments, and only when Veronica planted her hand on the side of his face and pressed it into the ground did he feel whatever fight he had exit his body as quickly as the adrenaline had surged into him a few minutes before. Cole squeezed his eyes shut and cried out, the pain a burst of colours that flashed across his closed lids, tears welling in his eyes, because goddamnit, it hurt so much.

But then it was gone, Veronica's hand leaving his face, alleviating the exponential pressure that threatened to cause Cole to pass out right there. He sucked in a deep, gasping breath, but the relief was only for a moment, because no sooner was it gone did he feel Veronica's hands wrapping around his wrists, pinning them down to the ground. But it didn't matter, not anymore, because when he looked, the car was gone. Lili and Casey and KJ were gone. He'd done it. KJ was going to be saved and the relief and the utter joy in that moment was enough to have Cole sagging. He didn't try to fight Veronica, didn't try to get free. There was no point.

"You have made a mess, Jughead," Veronica said, her voice only slightly breathless, which wasn't fair, because Cole felt completely depleted of energy. "Father is going to be very displeased with you."

Now that Lili was gone, now that KJ was safe, now that there was nothing left to do, Cole allowed himself to properly look at his sister - or stranger, really. The girl straddling him - or woman, rather - looked exactly like Camila, but also entirely different. It had his heart lurching in his chest, because when had these changes taken place? When had her face aged slightly? When did that flicker of mischief in her eyes dim to something darker? Her cheeks were thinner, not as puffy as they had been when they were teenagers, and Cole felt pressure building in his throat, because he missed this. He missed his sister grow up, mature into a woman. God, how long had it been? His chest started to rise and fall as the panic once again welled up inside of him, and he felt Veronica's grip on his wrists tighten all the more, as though she could sense his growing unease.

"Camila -" he gasped out, but was quickly cut off when she hissed at him.

"Why do you make me do this?" she demanded quietly, releasing one of his hands as she straightened up, retrieving something from her pocket. When she brought her hand back around, Cole's tensed at the sight of a pair of handcuffs. "You always do this, you make me hurt you."

He had no idea what that meant, and he didn't want to think about what that meant, not when she forced his still trapped wrist up, the cuff coming to cinch around his wrist. But before she could properly restrain him, another surge of adrenaline rocked into him. Cole grabbed the back of Veronica's head and forced her down to him, her forehead smacking the concrete ground beside his head. She went limp, her body dead weight across his body, and Cole just laid there, breathing in the scent of her hair, because even if she was a stranger at that moment, she was still his family, still his sister, and the idea of hurting her had a sob ripping through him.

Slowly shifting out from under her, Cole struggled to his knees, the world once again appearing to him in waves, causing his axis to alter whenever he tried to move. Shaking his head, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes, Cole gently rolled Camila - because like this, she looked peaceful, calm, exactly how his sister used to look when he'd wake her up to cover a stakeout when his time was up, not like Veronica with her cold, vacant eyes - over and brushed the hair from her face. There was a cut on her forehead, blood seeping from the gash, and it had Cole reaching up instinctively and touching his own nose, feeling the moisture there. Christ, that was still bleeding, too. It couldn't be a good sign, but then again, when have things been good for him?

Looking around, Cole closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Camila's shoulder, trying to calm the fear and uncertainty from his mind. Lili was gone now, speeding away to get KJ to Fred, so he couldn't get them to turn back around. And who the hell knew how long until Clifford came looking for them. He had to do something now, but he didn't know! The old him would have come up with a million ideas and suggestions, but he wasn't him anymore, was he? His shoulders shook as another wave of pain wracked through his body, and Cole didn't bother trying to save face and conceal the pained cry that forced its way up his throat and out of his mouth. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. Spasms were shooting through his back and neck, his head was pounding, and his thoughts were a series of jumbled words followed by clear accuracy, preceded by a collection of both. He wanted to lay down and slip into unconsciousness, but he couldn't do that. Time was running out and he had to figure out what the hell to do, because if Veronica woke up, he wouldn't be able to fight her. He was surprised he was able to slam her head into the ground hard enough to render her unconscious.

Cole lifted his head from her shoulder and wiped his eyes. Looking around the warehouse, Cole was once again ready to start panicking - because Christ, there was nothing! The warehouse was empty and there was nothing that could be used to help him in any way - when his eyes caught the glint of the handcuffs that were beside Veronica's hip.

"No," Cole whimpered out when he realised exactly what he was going to have to do. There was no other way, though. He knew that much. If she woke up, she would overwhelm him, she would overpower him, and he would be taken back to Clifford Blossom, and God, he couldn't go back there. His situation was unique and special, because he was completely alone with no friend or enemy around, and it would not last if he didn't taken advantage of it. But the idea of leaving his sister all alone … "Goddamnit!"

But he couldn't … he couldn't wait. Gritting his teeth, ignoring the tears that blurred his vision and the way the world shifted on its head, Cole gently wrapped his arms around Veronica and slowly started dragging her body across the floor of the warehouse until he got her to one of the support poles that littered the interior. He hesitated once more. He wanted to make her comfortable, but he didn't know how. There was nothing here to make her comfortable, and he certainly didn't have anything. Swallowing thickly, Cole forced himself to climb to his feet, his gait unsteady as he retrieved the handcuffs from where they were on the floor. He dropped to his knees once he made it back to Veronica's side, the impact enough to have him doubling over, his hands on either side of his head, the pressure an explosion in his temples, enough to have him whimpering in pain.

His hands were shaking so badly, he could barely get the cuff cinched around Veronica's wrist, and the world was shifting and wobbling and altering his vision so much, Cole had to press both of his hands firmly on the ground to keep from throwing up. Only when he heard Veronica's breathing shift slightly did his head snap up, eyes widening when he saw hers flickering open. And then it was a flurry of activity. Veronica wasn't at a disadvantage like he was, so she was immediately moving when he grabbed her wrist, her free hand balling up and slamming into his side, knocking the air from his lungs. He could do nothing but absorb the blow as he forced Veronica's cuffed wrist up, quickly locking it around the support pole.

She swiped at him again, but Cole quickly scrambled backward, the movement so fast, he lost his balance and fell into a sitting position. He moved back until he was out of her reach, and he sat there frozen as she struggled against the metal, her face contorted into a look of pure hatred as she yanked and pulled and twisted at her wrist, trying to get free. She was like a wounded animal that knew her time was coming to an end, and a wounded animal was always at its most dangerous when it felt threatened. Her movements and her anger were becoming more and more palpable with each second that passed, and Cole ran a frantic hand through his hair, slowly climbing back to his knees.

"Stop doing that," he said, voice coming out almost like a whimper. But his stranger-sister didn't appear to have even heard him. When a particularly vicious pull had her tearing skin, blood immediately sliding down her wrist did Cole feel the tears fall down his cheeks. "Cami, stop! Just stop doing that! Please!"

And she did, her vacant gaze latching onto him, enrapturing him. She cocked her head to the side. "This displeases you." She didn't even sound like she was in pain, like she hadn't just torn her wrist open to get free. Christ, what had Clifford done to them?

"I don't want to hurt you. I have to go and I can't have you following me, but I don't want to hurt you." Cole bit down on his bottom lip, his shimmering gaze moving from Veronica's face to her cuffed wrist, the sight of the blood enough to have his stomach protesting the sight. Blood never used to make him queasy, never used to make him want to vomit until his stomach was empty, but a lot had apparently changed in the time they were captured. "Please don't make me hurt you."

He didn't know what he was expecting, but Veronica laughing wasn't it. It was a sound that sent shivers down his spine, which did nothing to help him when combined with the spasms that had his jaw locking to keep from crying out. Cole felt small when Veronica looked at him with false pity in her eyes, the cerulean hue around her big brown eyes the only light in the otherwise darkened warehouse. "Where do you think you're going to go that I won't find you? Do you have any idea how much you mean to our father? What he won't do to take you back? You can run all you want, but it'll never be far enough."

"I'm sorry," Cole sobbed, backing away, and even though she was cuffed to the support pole, he still moved away slowly, like she would suddenly strike out at him when he least expected it. And he wouldn't put it past her, not after what she said, not after that warning. That alone was terrifying enough, his heart racing inside of his chest, his hands shaking at his sides as he clambered to his feet and made his way to the door of the warehouse. The mere thought of leaving her had tears blinding his vision, but he didn't have a choice, and he was really getting sick and tired of having his choices taken away. "I'm so sorry."

"You will be when I find you," she drawled, her voice sending a wave of fear slamming into him, a wave even stronger than the last one. "But not nearly as sorry as you will be when I deliver you to our father myself."

It was with those words that had him turning around and half-stumbling, half-jogging out of the warehouse and into the darkness, each syllable echoing in his head. Maybe she was right. Maybe running was a stupid call, a stupid decision, but he couldn't go back there. Couldn't. Because he remembered the glint in Clifford Blossom's eyes in that alley all that time ago. He remembered the deranged tone in his voice as he spoke about his thorn, stem, and rose. But most importantly, Cole remembered losing himself to that role Clifford so desperately wanted him as, remembered the emptiness, the desire to please his new father.

He remembered turning into that monster - the very same monster he had feared and still feared since he was a child - and he couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't. It would kill him if he had to do it again, so even if running was a foolish, pointless choice … at least it was his choice. A choice he was making willingly for the first time in so, so long.


	6. Chapter 6

Her legs felt cramped. Gritting her teeth together, Lili discreetly shifted her position for what felt like the third or fourth time in the span of thirty minutes. Realistically, it seemed as though there was no-one around. They were squatting in an abandoned warehouse, where they'd been told the Serpent - or she guessed Blossom- kids, would be arriving, most likely to carry out an assassination, ordered by their false father. They weren't far from the door, looking out onto the street. They'd only seen one car pass in the three hours they were positioned there, and that was well over two hours ago. Moving shouldn't be a main concern, but each movement felt like a monumental shift, like their position would give them away almost immediately. She felt tense and her muscles were wound up and there was sweat coating her skin, making her hair stick to the back of her neck. She was uncomfortable and frustrated and she had no idea how Casey could sit there and look so calm and relaxed, and no at all frazzled like she was currently.

The corrugated iron roof of the warehouse was domed some twenty-five feet above them, like a shanty-town cathedral. Lili hated these types of places. They were like a breeding ground for rats, spiders, and critters that went bump in the night. Betty Cooper, her old self's fear of spiders had never really left her. But since losing her family, suddenly spiders weren't the biggest of her worries. Yet her gaze didn't stray from the gaping tears in the cracked lino sticking to the dilapidated floor, hyper vigilant for her one weakness. Her fear had always been a sort of meme to the Serpent kids. Before they were taken initially, they didn't know fear. The three of them had been brought up with an ignorant mind-set that they were gods. They couldn't die. That they were powerful, and nobody could touch them. And sure, it had been true at first. The three of them had oozed an insanity, a lunacy that glittered in their eyes. They weren't scared of anything. Even their own demise.

And now, how the mighty have fallen. They had too much confidence. Too much faith that they would always win, always be the bad guys. But now, three years later, Lili only saw them as victims. The once mighty Serpents kids, who instilled fear in Riverdale's underworld, brought to their knees, by their childhood nightmare. Clifford Fucking Blossom. He had been the one to slowly crack them open, bring out their vulnerability, their weakness. Because despite never been fearful, in the beginning, there had always been a darkness in Cole's eyes when he talked about Riverdale's reigning king. It wasn't quite fear, but something else. Something deeply rooted inside him, leached to his mind and soul, a shadow cast over his life. Clifford Blossom was Cole's boogeyman, his nightmare. The reason why he couldn't sleep at night. During Lili's first few days as a Serpent prisoner, oh so long ago- when she was still Elizabeth Cooper. Still a frightened sixteen year old girl, who'd spent the majority of her time screaming verbal abuse at him to let her go, until her throat was raw, her chest was heaving, and she was exhausted.

One night she'd sprung up from KJ's bed, where she'd been tied to the bed posts, lacerations from the ropes binding her arms together, stinging her wrists, and found Cole sitting on the floor with his back to her, raven curls tousled and naked without his beanie. His knees had been pressed to his chest, a sketchbook lying on them. She'd been groggy, her voice a barely coherent hiss as she pulled on the restraints. Lili remembered the sound of playful yelling from the other room, which could have only meant that Cole's brother was playing a heated game of Crash Bandicoot, with Camila. And that left her alone with what she had been pretty sure was a psychopath in the body of a sixteen year old. A lunatic she needed to get away from, before he lost it and killed her. "What are you doing?" had been the words that had slipped out of her mouth before she could bite them back. And then she'd gained a wave of confidence, spluttering; "Are you going to let me go now, asshole?"

The boy hadn't replied. At that point, he barely spoke to her. Only the bare minimum, especially if she started screaming at him again. But then Lili had seen the splash of bright green, noticing the crayon clutched between his fingers, the nib scathing yellowing paper. It had been like watching a child draw. The moon had lit up a sky freckled with stars, a milky white light poured into the room through cracks in KJ's blinds, spilling across the floor in a large puddle, illuminating his face, turning a simple boy- a criminal's son- ethereal, in front of her eyes. It was the first time Lili had found a flaw in the boy. A defect. Cole Jones wasn't as perfect and put together as she thought, his knees bouncing slightly, the sketch book trembling on his quivering legs. Wide blue eyes had been staring into nothing, taking in nothing, lost in total oblivion as he sketched a monster. Lili had followed every stroke of the crayon, every time he'd shook his head and licked his thumb, attempting to correct his mistakes. Until he'd finished. The crayon dropped to the floor, causing her to flinch, and he'd ripped out the page in the book, and held it to the light, glaring at it. The drawing had been almost beautiful, if it wasn't for the grotesque face etched into the paper.

At that point, Lili had figured the boy was crazy. The son of her kidnappers was just senselessly doodling, while guarding her. But now she knew the truth. Clifford Blossom had terrified her siblings, and yet now they stood by his side. His precious Blossom royals, beaten into submission. Three mindless drones. Just the thought made her stomach churn, bile climbing up her throat.

"Are you okay?"

Casey's voice was soft, and he nudged her gently from his place next to her. The two of them had been kneeling behind a crumbling wall for a while now, staring at the gaping doorway of the warehouse. There was no moon tonight. The sky was pitch black, with no sign of stars either. But thinking of stars made Lili think of stargazing, and then it made her think of KJ, Cole and Camila being street kids, staring at the sky and wishing for a better life. The image of a smaller version of Cole, an innocent version, popped into her head, before she could stop it. Childlike eyes gazing at the sky spilling moonlight, head cocked, desperately trying to find the big dipper in a pool of nothing.

Her eyes stung, and she swiped at them, sniffing. "Uh-huh," she murmured, shuffling uncomfortably. A sharp pain rattled in her leg, and she bit her lip. Goddamn cramp.

"Hey," Casey said softly, leaning over to nudge her gently with his shoulder. It frustrated her to no relief that that simple action had the tears overflowing silently, her hands fidgeting with a loose thread in her black shirt. "We're going to get them back. They're your brothers and sister; no amount of brainwashing and torture can keep them away from you well, brother and sister and … boyfriend? Is that Facebook official yet?"

There was a teasing tone in Casey's voice that immediately had her rolling her eyes, her own lips curling into a small smile. Honestly, the thought of her and Cole were to each other was the farthest thing from her mind. All she wanted was to have him back, to have KJ and Camila back. All she wanted was to put to rest the horrible things Clifford Blossom did in the name of his obsession to have the former-Serpent kids his mindless minions, his easily controlled heirs. No, whatever Lili was to Cole, and vice versa, could be talked about when they were safely back with her, with Fred and FP.

"They're mind-controlled, Casey," Lili said, wiping away her tears before giving him a pointed look. "The last thing on my mind is that. We need to get them back first. Everything else will come second."

Casey said something else then, a mumbled string of words that she couldn't decipher. Furrowing her brow, Lili glanced around the still-abandoned warehouse before turning her attention back to her friend. "What was that?" And then she noticed it, the flush of his cheeks, the way he was now suddenly making a point to look at her. "Casey?"

Sighing sharply, but unable to fully suppress the smirk on his face, Casey said, "As horrible as it is for me to say, KJ is kind of hot when he's mindless and brainwashed."

"That's a horrible thing to say!"

"Yeah … that's what I said when I first started talking …"

There was an awkward silence, before Casey reached into KJ's Serpent jacket, pulling out a half eaten pack of Red Vines. "Want one?" He stuck one in his mouth, shoving the bag of candy in her face. Lili shook her head.

"I'm good."

"Oh come on, you love candy!" The boy shoved her playfully, and Lili rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, when I was little." She shuffled uncomfortably, sticking out her right leg to get rid of a cramp. Pain used to be so easy to get rid of, what with the Serpents suppressing techniques, but now she almost felt like her old self again, prone to succumbing to it.

Casey scoffed. "What, so are you trying to tell me now you're the ancient age of twenty, you can't eat candy anymore?

Shrugging his shoulders, Casey popped another into his mouth, chewing loudly before stuffing the bag back into his jacket. Lili sighed and looked around the warehouse once more. There were catwalks all around the upper levels, and it was slightly disconcerting how many vantage points were accessible and how many weren't. Had they truly scoped out the entire place? Were they sure they were entirely alone? Maybe that was why it was taking so long for them to come. Or were they sure that their intel was right? There were too many questions and not enough answers, not enough details, and it was enough to make Lili fidget once more, a grimace once again working its way to her face, turning her lips downward.

"I know it's hard, but relax," Casey said soothingly, glancing at her a moment before his calculative eyes glanced around the darkened space they were in. "I don't trust the structural integrity of these catwalks." He let out a sigh, before leaning back, a red vine sticking from his mouth. "This isn't the most dangerous situation we've ever been in," he joked. "Remember in the fourth grade when we ran across that minefield?"

Lili did. And it still made her cringe to this day. "All for a Pokemon card." she murmured, the corners of her lips curving into a small smile.

The boy chuckled. "How was I supposed to know it was a minefield? We're just lucky we weren't ..." Casey trailed off for a moment, and Lili's head snapped up, her gaze on the entrance to the warehouse. But there was nobody there. Turning to Casey, the boy had his fingers pressed to his temples, his expression twisted with what looked like pain, lips twisted. "Jesus," he grunted, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. "Fucking painful, man."

"Casey? What is it?"

Her best friend's eyes flew open, and he winced. "No idea. Just a headache I think."

"You think?"

"Mmm. Alright, no need to cry over me, I'm not going to die or anything, it's just a bit of pain in my head." Casey shot her a reassuring smile, but it curdled into a grimace.

"Casey, are you sure you're okay?"

Shrugging, he stuffed a bunch of red Vines in his mouth, chewing mechanically. "I will be once I eat my weight in candy." He left Lili to her thoughts then, the only sound being the pack of candy rattling in his hands. When Lili's eyes were starting to go heavy, her thoughts going elsewhere, the boy nudged her with his elbow, and she flinched.

"Casey." She bit back a growl, turning to him. "Ask me if I want a Red Vine one more time and I'll shove them down your-"

"No, it's not that," he murmured. "Look."

Casey's eyes widened almost comically then, his gaze suddenly hyper vigilant. "Lili." he murmured, and upon seeing his expression, she followed his gaze, her heart started to pound its way through her chest. She stiffened, her wide eyes on three shadows that were coming close, dancing across the sidewalk. Well, the shadow's were. The real things were like mannequins. Though right then, Lili only saw figures. Any expression was hidden away in the darkness, masked by shadow, until they weren't. Until their faces were caught in the mellow orange light of the lampposts speckled around the front.

Three faces suddenly illuminated in the darkness, sending Lili's heart into a frenzy. They looked exactly the same as she'd last seen them. They stood together, like they always did, as Serpent kids. But something was wrong. Normally, while on a mission, they would banter with each other, argue over who was doing what, and end up play-fighting with each other. But that was when they were teenagers, of course things were different. But not this different. Lili struggled to stay down, her gaze flicking across them. She wanted to see who they really were, the Serpent Kids, who she was in love with; KJ, Cole, and Camila. But to her dismay, Lili only saw three Blossom royals. Archie, Jughead, and Veronica. Now that she knew what was wrong with them, what had made them go feral on their parents, the filthy, inhumane secret forced inside of them, it was that much harder to look at them. But it had been so long. Three years of nothing, and now?

Now she'd seen them twice in one night.

They were dressed in black and white, this time. The clothes they'd been wearing at the club gone. White shirts for the boys, and a blouse for Veronica. Archie's hair was a flickering inferno, a much older and more mature expression on his pale face, as she watched him stride into the warehouse, scanning for movement. Lili stayed still, her heart in her throat. From her position, she could see them, but thankfully, they couldn't see her.

When Archie lifted his arm to scratch the back of his head, she glimpsed the all too-familiar tattoo of thorns twined around his arm, crimson shackles binding him to the Blossom's whether he liked it or not.

"Nobody here." he said, and his voice hurt her. There was nothing there, barely any tone. The redhead turned to his siblings, and there were Jughead and Veronica. They stood, the two of them far too close. It struck Lili that Archie and Veronica were standing in the exact same stance, their arms dangling by their sides, fists clenched ready for a fight, if one was to come. But Jughead's arms were folded across his chest, and while his siblings were unblinking, he was doing the opposite, his eyelids flickering erratically, as if he had something caught in his lashes. Reaching up, he swiped at them, his rose tattoos moving up and down his bare arms in the flittering light, writhing, like they were real roots, retraining him. Cole still looked beautiful, despite being a Blossom. He was noticeably older, on the cusp of twenty years old. His olive skin shined with perspiration, strands of raven hair sticking to his forehead while green eyes shone an electric blue hue which was almost tantalising, hypnotising to her.

He was the exact opposite to when she'd first met him, and oh- that boy had been beautiful too; a ragged looking teenage boy with shining eyes, a twisted smile, and clothes that looked like they'd seen better days. But as much as he'd been manufactured into a solider, it was still Cole. Behind those eyes, he was still there.

"Right," Casey whispered, slowly starting to get up. "We got this."

Archie pulled out a knife from his belt, his fingers stroking up the blade, and Lili felt the boy stiffen. He let out a breath and lowered himself. "Okay, we haven't got this," he muttered. Lili nodded slowly. They definitely didn't have this. Archie's fingers tightened around the knife. Lili suddenly had a sickening thought that perhaps the boy knew they were here already. But his brown eyes ringed with cerulean didn't land on her.

"Intel says the traitor is on the move," he said, in that same toneless drone. He nodded at Jughead and Veronica "You two go and grab him, and I'll stay here and keep a lookout."

"Okay," Jughead said, far too quickly. He turned to join his sister, who nodded, straying strands of raven hair dangling in dead eyes. But to Lili's confusion, Jughead stumbled, nearly tripping over his feet. He managed to right himself quickly, straightening up. Lili wanted to believe he was free of the control, but the look in his eyes said otherwise, and despite his clumsiness, it seemed that he still wasn't all there behind the eyes. Lili didn't realise she was ready to jump out of hiding, before Casey's hands clamped down on her shoulders, shoving her back down before she could start yelling.

"Don't," Casey muttered in her ear. "It's not him, Lils."

"You don't know that!"

"Damage report, Jughead," Archie said. "Father wants to know why you seem off your game."

"I hit my head during the last mission," the raven-head replied, and Lili definitely saw him wince. His eyelid flickered, slight expression returning. "Damage to the neuron is possible, so I will pay Doctor Curdle Senior a visit when we return home."

"Not likely," Casey scoffed. "See? He's still a total sheep, Lili."

Before she could try and argue, Jughead and Veronica were sprinting off, leaving Archie staying in the same position. His gaze didn't leave the retreating figures of his siblings. Lili exhaled. "We grab him," she said, and to her surprise, Casey nodded.

"Right. We grab one, and wait for the others, right?"

"Yeah." Lili couldn't breathe. Her brother was so close, and the only thing stopping her from running towards him and flinging her arms around the boy, was the hunk of metal stuck in his neck. She straightened up. "We do this quickly, okay?" Lili stuffed her hands in her pocket, her fingers curling around the syringe her father had dropped into her hands. Horse tranquilliser, he'd explained. Not fatal to humans, but strong enough to bring down a Serpent kid who had been turned into a mindless Blossom soldier.

Her hands were shaking as she slowly stood up, bringing Casey with her. Lili had rehearsed the moment so many times, when she'd speak to her brother. Try and reason with him. But in all of those daydreams, his knife always ended up lodged in her heart, and while she choked on blood, rivulets of crimson staining her teeth and dribbling down her chin as he stood over her, a blank look in vacant brown eyes, watching her, waiting for her to die. She remembered the last thing he ever said to her, with wide eyes glistening with tears, and lips that wanted to say so much more; "Until next time."

And this- this was next time. Three years later, and KJ's voice still haunted her thoughts. But instead of fuelling her fear, it motivated her to stand up and get her fucking brother back. "Hey!" Lili was grabbing Casey's arms and striding forwards before she could help it. There was a name on her lips. KJ. But the boy standing in front of her didn't deserve that name. Her chest tightened when the boy's head snapped around, eyes flashing. But he didn't smile, or scowl. He simply regarded her with mild curiosity. She passed Casey the syringe behind her back, and the boy took it quickly, shoving it in his pocket. They'd gone over the plan repeatedly, but there was a chance of it going wrong, and when first making it, she'd been sure all three Serpent kids would be present.

"Elizabeth Cooper," Archie droned, taking a step forwards. But she refused to take one back. "A traitor to my father, and my family, as well as her own blood." His gaze flickered to Casey. "And Kevin Keller. The Blossom born who sided with the vermin."

Casey rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the exposition," he muttered. He took an uncertain step forwards. "C'mon Andrews, we know you're in there somewhere." His voice was shaking, and Lili realised she'd never heard her best friend sound scared. Fearful.

Upset.

Archie cocked his head, ignoring the boy. His gaze was stuck to Lili, and if he was capable of smiling, he'd be grinning. "My father wasn't sure when you'd turn up," he said. "I think he'll be happy to know that you finally turned yourselves in."

Lili curled her lip. "So what, you're going to take us back to that prison?" Her heart clenched.

Archie shook his head. "No, Elizabeth. You are an enemy of my father, and will be dealt with accordingly."

She nodded, taking steps back, spreading out her arms. Too much confidence. But this was exactly what the Serpents did. "Alright then, so come and get me."

She regretted the words the second they slipped out of her mouth, when Archie lunged towards her, swinging the knife, which glittered in the din. Her Serpent training kicked in, and thank god it did. She hadn't fought for a while, so she was a little rusty. But when Archie aimed a fatal stab to her chest, she quickly grabbed his arm which was holding the weapon, twisting it. He didn't howl in pain, or gasp out. But he did drop it. With him disarmed, Lili aimed a punch to his temples, which he promptly blocked, kicking her in the gut, sending her to her knees, panting. It took a second for her to see the knife, but before she could grab it, he stamped on her foot, and she screamed.

It was a loud, agonising scream which tore through the air. Archie ducked to her height and pulled the knife from her fingers. "You should have stayed with family, Betty."

"With my psycho mom?" she spluttered. "No thanks." jumping up, she mananged to steel herself, aiming a kick to his crotch. But he dodged it easily, and her heart splintered. In training, she'd memorised all of KJ's moves. But these were different. Her brother had fought to stun, but this boy's intention was to kill. Lili struggled under his weight when he pinned her on her back, teasing the blade over her heart. But she didn't say anything. Because even if it was an accident, even if she'd risked her life for this, Archie Andrews was right where she wanted him to be.

Casey didn't waste time. When Archie lifted the knife to plunge into her, Casey stabbed the point of the syringe into the back of his neck, before stumbling back, falling to his knees. She waited for the boy to collapse, for his eyes to roll to the back of his head. But Archie didn't even blink. Instead, he reached to pull the needle out, which was protruding from his neck, before flinging it over his shoulder. Lili gaped. Casey cursed, and tried to catch the boy off guard, aiming a hit to his face. But Archie's reflexes were too fast, almost supernaturally fast. With one swift hit, Casey was on his back with a broken nose. It was enough to scare the boy into staying down, hissing in pain. "What the fuck, Andrews?"

"Stay," Archie told the boy, and Casey did, rolling onto his front to curse into the floor.

"You look surprised, Betty," Archie murmured, turning back to her, that ethereal light shining through his eyes. "My father made us indestructible. So whatever Kevin Keller just forced into my bloodstream, it will not hurt me."

"Jesus Christ," Casey moaned. "We're screwed. We're fucking dead. We're so, fucking dead."

Casey was right. The psycho doctor hadn't mentioned that he'd altered her siblings so much, that they might as well be made of metal. Tears burned in her eyes, and she choked them back. "Please," she whispered. "Please, if - if you're in there, KJ, I need you to f-fight it, okay?" When his expression didn't falter, she screamed until her lungs burned. Her heart was an inferno. Her brother really was gone this time, and there was nothing she could do about it. His eyes were glassy, nothing behind them. Lili squeezed her eyes shut, so she didn't have to look at him. "Please," she said. "I need you to come back. I need you to come back to me." her voice was betraying her, the tears rolling down her cheeks- everything she said she wouldn't do- she was breaking every Serpent rule.

Archie cocked his head. "I don't know who that is, but I promised my father that I'll make your death painful, Snake. So stop struggling."

Lili waited for the burst of pain in her chest, the blood choking her mouth, as he stared down at her, waiting for her to die. But she wouldn't. She'd keep fighting until he'd twist the blade, shoving it in again, and again. Until she stayed down. Until her eyes flickered shut. And then Veronica and Jughead would join him, their eyes devoid of life, before the three of them made their way to Clifford Blossom's car. He'd make remarks on their tattoos, forcing them to take their jackets off, and expose themselves.

She prayed- oh god she prayed that Jughead wasn't like them. While their hands were still, his were in his lap, fingernails digging into the skin of his palms. His teeth would be gritted; "Find me, Lili." he'd keep saying, over and over again in his head.

"Find me."

And she had. She had found him. In a world full of black and white, where she'd dwelled for the last three years- suddenly, there was colour. And no matter how much he had changed, he was still here, cast in ultraviolet rays, his mind covered with a shroud of impenetrable darkness. So close, yet so, so fucking far away from her.

So maybe she was imagining it when her eyes flew open at the sound of breath flitting through her brother's lips. Archie's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and when she glimpsed through fraying lashes, she realised that the boy had been hit from behind, his body slumping forwards. It was like deja vu. This had happened before. Grabbing her bearings, Lili expected Casey to be looming over her, having hit the boy with a frying pan he'd been hiding all this time. But it wasn't Casey. The boy standing over her was trembling, his arms wrapped around himself, a trickle of scarlet running from his nose. His hair was stuck to his forehead, and he was pale. He was so, so pale. Though there was still a blankness in his eyes she couldn't ignore, even when tears were sliding down his cheeks, and he was stumbling, swaying, blood spattering the bottom half of his face. If it hadn't have been so horrifying, Lili might have found it beautiful. The blood shined in the din of the warehouse, veins of it streaking down glistening, olive cheeks.

"Get up," Cole said quickly, grabbing her arm and yanking her to her feet. Lili stared at him, her lips moving, but no sound coming out.

"Jones?" Casey was back on his feet, swaying slightly. "Wait, are you-"

"I don't- I don't have much time," Cole gasped out, swiping his bloody nose, wincing. He fell to his knees beside Archie, turning the boy over to his back, his fingers trailing over the redhead's neck, brushing strands of hair away, revealing a line of stitches. Lili's heart flipped over in her chest. "You need to save my brother," he said softly, looking up to meet eyes with Lili. "Please. Please get it out of him."

Before she could reply, the boy twitched, his eyelids flickered again, pain etching across his expression. He jumped to his feet, tearing at his hair, scarlet smearing his face. "You need to go," he said in a gasp of breath. "Take KJ and run."

Casey nodded, tearing off his jacket and laying it over the redhead, before scooping the Serpent boy into his arms with a grunt. "Jesus fuck, Andrews, you weigh a tonne."

Lili ignored Casey, and shook her head, glaring at Cole. "No." When Cole's eyes narrowed, she exhaled. "I'm not leaving you again."

The boy blinked at her, before he swiped feverishly at his eyes. "Look," he said softly. "Lili, I'll hurt you if you come any closer. He'll make me fucking hurt you, and I can't hold on, okay?" Cole let out a strangled sob. "It's a miracle the chip keeps failing, but it's killing me, Betty, I- I mean Lili. Elizabeth. Betty. Lili. Elizabeth. Betty-" It was almost like he was - glitching. Words were pouring from his lips in a rush of breath, before he could stop them. But Lili wasn't scared. She swallowed her own cry, which was tearing through her mouth, and took gentle steps towards the trembling boy.

Cole fell to his knees, blood gushing from his nose, and Lili dropped in front of him, grabbing his hands and pressing her forehead against his.

"It hurts," he whispered, and she nodded, choking on her own sobs.

"I know."

"You're not scared of me?"

Lili shook her head, her hands moving to cradle his cheeks, bringing him closer. He stared at her dazedly, green eyes flickering, crimson staining his face and the cuffs of his sleeves. "Cole," she spoke softly. "When I first met you, I was terrified of you." She allowed herself to laugh, and to her surprise, the boy spluttered too, falling into her, sobs wracking his chest.

"It hurts..." he continued to whimper repeatedly, in a gush of pained breath, his quaking body rattling against hers. She continued, running her hands through his hair, leaning close, her lips scathing his. They were salty, and she could taste blood. But they were his. They were oh, so his.

"But the things I've done to get you back? Cole, I don't think any of us are the good guys anymore."

She was right. Neither of them were good, or bad. They were purely in the grey, willing to do anything to get their family back.

She felt more than saw his brows scrunch up, and her hands instinctively tightened around him when she felt him shift. Her heart lifted to her throat, panic welling inside of her, because she couldn't lose him again, couldn't stand to part from him, but he was only moving closer, shifting to where she could feel his shaky exhalation on her lips. Lili felt tears rolling down the sides of her face when his eyes flitted closed.

"I missed you so much." And the amount of emotion in his voice was enough to break her heart all over again. "I waited, Lili. All the time I was awake, I waited for you, and dad, and-" he choked up, shaking his head. "You said you'd come and find me."

"I don't mean to break up whatever this is up," Casey interjected. "But Lili, we've gotta go. Andrews could wake up any second, and he'll kill us. You know he will." The boy exhaled. "And not to be the bearer of bad news, but Cole doesn't seem very-"

"Don't," Lili spat, twisting to her friend. "He's coming with us, Casey. I'm not leaving him behind again. Do you hear me?" Frustrated tears burned in her eyes. "He needs his father, Casey. He needs to go home! Look at him!"

The feel of Cole's hands reaching up and cupping the sides of her neck was enough to draw Lili's attention back to him, and the way she so easily lost herself in him was terrifying. And in that moment, she knew she would bring the whole damn world to its knees if it meant keeping him safe. But then she caught the look in his eyes and she felt her tensing.

"Lili -"

"No," she snarled, burying her fingers in his hair, keeping him as close to her as possible. "Cole, no."

"It's okay," he whispered against her lips, his eyes still closed, like he knew if he opened them and saw her, his resolve would crumble. God, she needed him to look at her. "I know you'll come back for me."

"Again?!" she squeaked. "This is the third time I'm losing you, the third time!"

"I'm with Jones," Casey muttered. "We take KJ back to the dads, and then we come back for Jones and Lodge."

"That's not-" If Lili wasn't cradling Cole, she'd punch Casey in the face. "Are you serious? We can't leave him again!"

Cole scoffed, and she turned back to his soft smile, even when the ominous glow in his eyes was still present, a ring of flickering cerulean. His calmness was enough to relax her, slightly. "Don't talk about me as if I'm not here," he murmured. "Lili, I'm not stable right now. This- this thing inside my head could take control at any point."

"I don't care," she said, and Lili meant it. Cole looked confused for a second, before she grabbed his face, and pulled him closer to her, pressing her lips to his. He tasted like salt and blood, the tinge of rusty coins hitting her own lips. But she revelled in it, his scent, his taste. Just … him. When he kissed back softly, feebly, she turned desperate, and it felt good - right. Lili loved the way his body melted into hers, and as adults, it felt like so much more. Like they were two jigsaw pieces fitting together. Cole pulled away after a second, gasping softly, eyes wide and dazed. But then he kissed her this time, cradling her. And she had never felt more content. The last three years seemed to dissipate in her mind. She was seventeen again, kissing the Serpent boy on the edge of the pool under a moonlit sky, the stink of chlorine stinging her nose, his forehead pressed against hers with urgency, silently begging her to never let go.

"Lili." Casey's voice startled her. "If you could stop lip-locking Mr Brainwashed for like two seconds..." he trailed off, and the two of them jumped apart. Her eyes fluttered open, and Cole was staring at her, blue eyes wide. He let out a shaky breath when she reached out, swiping a loose curl from his forehead, he flinched slightly.

She stood up, helping the boy to unsteady feet, only to be face to face with Casey, who was backing away, clutching her unconscious brother to his chest. His eyes were almost cartoon-like, stuck to something behind them. Or someone.

"Elizabeth Andrews." The voice was unmistakably her sister. Both Lili and Cole turned to her. The girl was standing a few feet away, staring at them with empty eyes. "You're touching my brother. Nobody touches my brother, under my father's orders."

Cole, to Lili's surprise, shuffled away from her. Veronica's gaze flickered to Casey holding KJ. "What are you doing with Archie?" Something twisted in her expression, like actual anger.

Casey stood his ground, gritting his teeth. "Keeping him the hell away from you, and your psychotic so-called father," he growled back. "Stay back, sweetie."

The girl hummed, before her eyes went back to Cole. "Jughead, you said you reported damage to your neuron." Her lip curled. "You appear to be awake. Father won't like that."

"We're getting out of here, now," Casey said quickly, surging towards Lili. "Lils, we have to go."

She nodded, grabbing Cole's hand. When he pulled away, her heart splintered. "I'll distract her so you can get my brother out of here," he said, and when she opened her mouth to protest, he chuckled, pulling her close, and kissed her again. And when Veronica let out a sharp breath, he shot her the finger, keeping his forehead pressed to Lili's.

"You trust me, right?" he murmured. At the corner of Lili's eye, Veronica was walking towards them, a deadly glint in her otherwise lifeless eyes.

"Not really." Lili choked on a laugh, and the boy shook his head. "Just get KJ out of here."

"But-"

"Lili." Cole shot her a smile, but it was half-hearted. She could tell he didn't want to do this. "Are you telling me I can't take my own sister?"

"Hey!" Casey yelled. "Lils, we've gotta go!"

She hated goodbyes. Hated them. So Lili didn't say anything, only stumbled away, forcing her legs to keep going. She walked backwards, watching Cole advance towards Camila, who automatically aimed a punch to his chest, knocking him to the ground. But once on the ground, he booted her in the gut with both of his legs, leaping back to his feet. Part of Lili loved the way he was fighting back, seeing that spark, that inferno that was Cole Jones, come into fruition. They made it back to the car, after exiting the warehouse. Lili was still watching the fight. Camila had Cole on his back, pinning him to the ground. But he swiped at her face, two swift hits which she easily blocked.

Casey gently lay KJ across the back seat, pausing to run his fingers through the boy's hair. "It's weird," he said breathlessly, to Lili, who was still staring, almost trance-like, at the Serpent fight. "I remember when I first properly met this red-haired bastard, and there was something about him...something I understood." Shaking his head, Casey dove into the driver's seat. "Get in, Lili."

She didn't. "He's coming," she whispered, her gaze following Cole as he grabbed the girl by her hair and kneed her in the gut, sending her sprawling across the pavement before he turned around and started running towards her, towards the car. But she didn't stay down. Before Lili could cry out, Camila was coming up behind him, slamming her fists into Cole's temples - and this time he went down, and didn't get back up.

"No!" The cry ripped from her throat, and she lunged forwards to go after him. Camila had straddled him, pressing his face into the concrete. Lili howled when Casey's hands gripped her wrist, yanking her into the car, slamming the door shut. Which meant so much more, in her deteriorating mind. Casey was slamming the door on Cole forever, leaving him to the mercy of Clifford Blossom and his mindless sister. She pounded on the glass, but the boy stepped on the gas, nearly sending KJ rolling off the seat. For just one disorienting second, she thought about knocking Casey out, and wrestling to get hold of the steering wheel.

But then logic settled in, overriding the hurricane exploding in her mind. She already had one brother. KJ was safe - curled up in the backseat underneath Casey's jacket. If she freaked out now, she could lose him, too. Lili's pounding fists stopped, slipping on the glass, and she slammed her head into the window instead, and let herself break.

* * *

He just needed to distract her for a few minutes, just long enough for Lili and Casey to get KJ out of there. That was it. Pulling away from Lili was one of the hardest things he had to do, but in that moment, it was the only thing that made sense. Logically, he knew that he was making the right decision. His head wasn't right, and he could feel the pressure building in his temples, the piercing pain that made him want to fold into himself, but he couldn't do that. So he did the only thing he could think of - he fought. Veronica was coming and Cole took a running start, meeting her halfway there. From behind him, he could hear Lili screaming, Casey's barking orders, and he hoped that Lili would listen and go, because they had KJ, and if they were able to save him … it would change everything.

In any other circumstance, Cole would embrace the adrenaline coursing through his veins, would take pleasure in the way his muscles screamed for activity, but the second Veronica's punch landed, the hit to the chest forcing all of the air from his lungs, knocking him immediately to the ground, he had to admit that he'd seen better days. But he didn't have time to wait, didn't have time to hesitate, because Veronica was still coming, and Cole had to push the fact that this was his sister away as he lifted his legs and slammed them into her stomach, the momentum taking her to the ground, as well. Jumping to his feet, Cole squared his stance, fighting back a wave of dizziness that slammed into him almost as forcefully as one of Veronica's kicks. Blinking away the fog that was settling over his eyes, Cole narrowly dodged her fist. Shifting quickly to the side, Cole grabbed her head and, after sucking in a lungful of breath, he forced his knee up while simultaneously yanking her head down, the two connecting with a painful clap that it had him flinching. Veronica dropped almost immediately.

Stumbling backward, Cole quickly turned around and started rushing toward the exit of the warehouse. He could see Lili standing there by the car, and while a part of him welled with frustration that she was still there, that she hadn't left, another part of him - the more dominant part of him - was just glad that she was still there, that she was stubborn enough to want to wait. But he should have known it was too good to be true, because he made it … maybe ten steps before he felt her presence a moment too late, and then there was an explosion of pain in his temples, and before he even knew what was happening, Cole was on the cold, dirty ground of the warehouse with Veronica on top of him.

"No!" Lili's voice cried out, ringing out somewhere in his mind, but all he felt was pain. It was a wonder he was even still fighting - or attempting to. He could barely see straight, the pressure in his temples enough to have his eyes watering.

His fists flew out, and it was merely out of desperation than anything that he was even trying to connect to any part of her body, because Lili still needed to get away with KJ, she still needed a few more moments, and only when Veronica planted her hand on the side of his face and pressed it into the ground did he feel whatever fight he had exit his body as quickly as the adrenaline had surged into him a few minutes before. Cole squeezed his eyes shut and cried out, the pain a burst of colours that flashed across his closed lids, tears welling in his eyes, because goddamnit, it hurt so much.

But then it was gone, Veronica's hand leaving his face, alleviating the exponential pressure that threatened to cause Cole to pass out right there. He sucked in a deep, gasping breath, but the relief was only for a moment, because no sooner was it gone did he feel Veronica's hands wrapping around his wrists, pinning them down to the ground. But it didn't matter, not anymore, because when he looked, the car was gone. Lili and Casey and KJ were gone. He'd done it. KJ was going to be saved and the relief and the utter joy in that moment was enough to have Cole sagging. He didn't try to fight Veronica, didn't try to get free. There was no point.

"You have made a mess, Jughead," Veronica said, her voice only slightly breathless, which wasn't fair, because Cole felt completely depleted of energy. "Father is going to be very displeased with you."

Now that Lili was gone, now that KJ was safe, now that there was nothing left to do, Cole allowed himself to properly look at his sister - or stranger, really. The girl straddling him - or woman, rather - looked exactly like Camila, but also entirely different. It had his heart lurching in his chest, because when had these changes taken place? When had her face aged slightly? When did that flicker of mischief in her eyes dim to something darker? Her cheeks were thinner, not as puffy as they had been when they were teenagers, and Cole felt pressure building in his throat, because he missed this. He missed his sister grow up, mature into a woman. God, how long had it been? His chest started to rise and fall as the panic once again welled up inside of him, and he felt Veronica's grip on his wrists tighten all the more, as though she could sense his growing unease.

"Camila -" he gasped out, but was quickly cut off when she hissed at him.

"Why do you make me do this?" she demanded quietly, releasing one of his hands as she straightened up, retrieving something from her pocket. When she brought her hand back around, Cole's tensed at the sight of a pair of handcuffs. "You always do this, you make me hurt you."

He had no idea what that meant, and he didn't want to think about what that meant, not when she forced his still trapped wrist up, the cuff coming to cinch around his wrist. But before she could properly restrain him, another surge of adrenaline rocked into him. Cole grabbed the back of Veronica's head and forced her down to him, her forehead smacking the concrete ground beside his head. She went limp, her body dead weight across his body, and Cole just laid there, breathing in the scent of her hair, because even if she was a stranger at that moment, she was still his family, still his sister, and the idea of hurting her had a sob ripping through him.

Slowly shifting out from under her, Cole struggled to his knees, the world once again appearing to him in waves, causing his axis to alter whenever he tried to move. Shaking his head, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes, Cole gently rolled Camila - because like this, she looked peaceful, calm, exactly how his sister used to look when he'd wake her up to cover a stakeout when his time was up, not like Veronica with her cold, vacant eyes - over and brushed the hair from her face. There was a cut on her forehead, blood seeping from the gash, and it had Cole reaching up instinctively and touching his own nose, feeling the moisture there. Christ, that was still bleeding, too. It couldn't be a good sign, but then again, when have things been good for him?

Looking around, Cole closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Camila's shoulder, trying to calm the fear and uncertainty from his mind. Lili was gone now, speeding away to get KJ to Fred, so he couldn't get them to turn back around. And who the hell knew how long until Clifford came looking for them. He had to do something now, but he didn't know! The old him would have come up with a million ideas and suggestions, but he wasn't him anymore, was he? His shoulders shook as another wave of pain wracked through his body, and Cole didn't bother trying to save face and conceal the pained cry that forced its way up his throat and out of his mouth. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. Spasms were shooting through his back and neck, his head was pounding, and his thoughts were a series of jumbled words followed by clear accuracy, preceded by a collection of both. He wanted to lay down and slip into unconsciousness, but he couldn't do that. Time was running out and he had to figure out what the hell to do, because if Veronica woke up, he wouldn't be able to fight her. He was surprised he was able to slam her head into the ground hard enough to render her unconscious.

Cole lifted his head from her shoulder and wiped his eyes. Looking around the warehouse, Cole was once again ready to start panicking - because Christ, there was nothing! The warehouse was empty and there was nothing that could be used to help him in any way - when his eyes caught the glint of the handcuffs that were beside Veronica's hip.

"No," Cole whimpered out when he realised exactly what he was going to have to do. There was no other way, though. He knew that much. If she woke up, she would overwhelm him, she would overpower him, and he would be taken back to Clifford Blossom, and God, he couldn't go back there. His situation was unique and special, because he was completely alone with no friend or enemy around, and it would not last if he didn't taken advantage of it. But the idea of leaving his sister all alone … "Goddamnit!"

But he couldn't … he couldn't wait. Gritting his teeth, ignoring the tears that blurred his vision and the way the world shifted on its head, Cole gently wrapped his arms around Veronica and slowly started dragging her body across the floor of the warehouse until he got her to one of the support poles that littered the interior. He hesitated once more. He wanted to make her comfortable, but he didn't know how. There was nothing here to make her comfortable, and he certainly didn't have anything. Swallowing thickly, Cole forced himself to climb to his feet, his gait unsteady as he retrieved the handcuffs from where they were on the floor. He dropped to his knees once he made it back to Veronica's side, the impact enough to have him doubling over, his hands on either side of his head, the pressure an explosion in his temples, enough to have him whimpering in pain.

His hands were shaking so badly, he could barely get the cuff cinched around Veronica's wrist, and the world was shifting and wobbling and altering his vision so much, Cole had to press both of his hands firmly on the ground to keep from throwing up. Only when he heard Veronica's breathing shift slightly did his head snap up, eyes widening when he saw hers flickering open. And then it was a flurry of activity. Veronica wasn't at a disadvantage like he was, so she was immediately moving when he grabbed her wrist, her free hand balling up and slamming into his side, knocking the air from his lungs. He could do nothing but absorb the blow as he forced Veronica's cuffed wrist up, quickly locking it around the support pole.

She swiped at him again, but Cole quickly scrambled backward, the movement so fast, he lost his balance and fell into a sitting position. He moved back until he was out of her reach, and he sat there frozen as she struggled against the metal, her face contorted into a look of pure hatred as she yanked and pulled and twisted at her wrist, trying to get free. She was like a wounded animal that knew her time was coming to an end, and a wounded animal was always at its most dangerous when it felt threatened. Her movements and her anger were becoming more and more palpable with each second that passed, and Cole ran a frantic hand through his hair, slowly climbing back to his knees.

"Stop doing that," he said, voice coming out almost like a whimper. But his stranger-sister didn't appear to have even heard him. When a particularly vicious pull had her tearing skin, blood immediately sliding down her wrist did Cole feel the tears fall down his cheeks. "Cami, stop! Just stop doing that! Please!"

And she did, her vacant gaze latching onto him, enrapturing him. She cocked her head to the side. "This displeases you." She didn't even sound like she was in pain, like she hadn't just torn her wrist open to get free. Christ, what had Clifford done to them?

"I don't want to hurt you. I have to go and I can't have you following me, but I don't want to hurt you." Cole bit down on his bottom lip, his shimmering gaze moving from Veronica's face to her cuffed wrist, the sight of the blood enough to have his stomach protesting the sight. Blood never used to make him queasy, never used to make him want to vomit until his stomach was empty, but a lot had apparently changed in the time they were captured. "Please don't make me hurt you."

He didn't know what he was expecting, but Veronica laughing wasn't it. It was a sound that sent shivers down his spine, which did nothing to help him when combined with the spasms that had his jaw locking to keep from crying out. Cole felt small when Veronica looked at him with false pity in her eyes, the cerulean hue around her big brown eyes the only light in the otherwise darkened warehouse. "Where do you think you're going to go that I won't find you? Do you have any idea how much you mean to our father? What he won't do to take you back? You can run all you want, but it'll never be far enough."

"I'm sorry," Cole sobbed, backing away, and even though she was cuffed to the support pole, he still moved away slowly, like she would suddenly strike out at him when he least expected it. And he wouldn't put it past her, not after what she said, not after that warning. That alone was terrifying enough, his heart racing inside of his chest, his hands shaking at his sides as he clambered to his feet and made his way to the door of the warehouse. The mere thought of leaving her had tears blinding his vision, but he didn't have a choice, and he was really getting sick and tired of having his choices taken away. "I'm so sorry."

"You will be when I find you," she drawled, her voice sending a wave of fear slamming into him, a wave even stronger than the last one. "But not nearly as sorry as you will be when I deliver you to our father myself."

It was with those words that had him turning around and half-stumbling, half-jogging out of the warehouse and into the darkness, each syllable echoing in his head. Maybe she was right. Maybe running was a stupid call, a stupid decision, but he couldn't go back there. Couldn't. Because he remembered the glint in Clifford Blossom's eyes in that alley all that time ago. He remembered the deranged tone in his voice as he spoke about his thorn, stem, and rose. But most importantly, Cole remembered losing himself to that role Clifford so desperately wanted him as, remembered the emptiness, the desire to please his new father.

He remembered turning into that monster - the very same monster he had feared and still feared since he was a child - and he couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't. It would kill him if he had to do it again, so even if running was a foolish, pointless choice … at least it was his choice. A choice he was making willingly for the first time in so, so long.


	7. Chapter 7

Cole just needed to distract her for a few minutes, just long enough for Lili and Casey to get KJ out of there. That was it. Pulling away from Lili was one of the hardest things he had to do, but in that moment, it was the only thing that made sense. Logically, he knew that he was making the right decision. His head wasn't right, and he could feel the pressure building in his temples, the piercing pain that made him want to fold into himself, but he couldn't do that. So he did the only thing he could think of - he fought. Veronica was coming and Cole took a running start, meeting her halfway there. From behind him, he could hear Lili screaming, Casey's barking orders, and he hoped that Lili would listen and go, because they had KJ, and if they were able to save him ... it would change everything.

In any other circumstance, Cole would embrace the adrenaline coursing through his veins, would take pleasure in the way his muscles screamed for activity, but the second Veronica's punch landed, the hit to the chest forcing all of the air from his lungs, knocking him immediately to the ground, he had to admit that he'd seen better days.

But he didn't have time to wait, didn't have time to hesitate, because Veronica was still coming, and Cole had to push the fact that this was his sister away as he lifted his legs and slammed them into her stomach, the momentum taking her to the ground, as well.

Jumping to his feet, Cole squared his stance, fighting back a wave of dizziness that slammed into him almost as forcefully as one of Veronica's kicks. Blinking away the fog that was settling over his eyes, Cole narrowly dodged her fist. Shifting quickly to the side, Cole grabbed her head and, after sucking in a lungful of breath, he forced his knee up while simultaneously yanking her head down, the two connecting with a painful clap that it had him flinching. Veronica dropped almost immediately.

Stumbling backward, Cole quickly turned around and started rushing toward the exit of the warehouse. He could see Lili standing there by the car, and while a part of him welled with frustration that she was still there, that she hadn't left, another part of him - the more dominant part of him - was just glad that she was still there, that she was stubborn enough to want to wait. But he should have known it was too good to be true, because he made it ... maybe ten steps before he felt her presence a moment too late, and then there was an explosion of pain in his temples, and before he even knew what was happening, Cole was on the cold, dirty ground of the warehouse with Veronica on top of him.

"No!" Lili's voice cried out, ringing out somewhere in his mind, but all he felt was pain. It was a wonder he was even still fighting - or attempting to. He could barely see straight, the pressure in his temples enough to have his eyes watering.

His fists flew out, and it was merely out of desperation than anything that he was even trying to connect to any part of her body, because Lili still needed to get away with KJ, she still needed a few more moments, and only when Veronica planted her hand on the side of his face and pressed it into the ground did he feel whatever fight he had exit his body as quickly as the adrenaline had surged into him a few minutes before. Cole squeezed his eyes shut and cried out, the pain a burst of colours that flashed across his closed lids, tears welling in his eyes, because goddamnit, it hurt so much.

But then it was gone, Veronica's hand leaving his face, alleviating the exponential pressure that threatened to cause Cole to pass out right there. He sucked in a deep, gasping breath, but the relief was only for a moment, because no sooner was it gone did he feel Veronica's hands wrapping around his wrists, pinning them down to the ground. But it didn't matter, not anymore, because when he looked, the car was gone. Lili and Casey and KJ were gone. He'd done it. KJ was going to be saved and the relief and the utter joy in that moment was enough to have Cole sagging. He didn't try to fight Veronica, didn't try to get free. There was no point.

"You have made a mess, Jughead," Veronica said, her voice only slightly breathless, which wasn't fair, because Cole felt completely depleted of energy. "Father is going to be very displeased with you."

Now that Lili was gone, now that KJ was safe, now that there was nothing left to do, Cole allowed himself to properly look at his sister - or stranger, really. The girl straddling him - or woman, rather - looked exactly like Camila, but also entirely different. It had his heart lurching in his chest, because when had these changes taken place? When had her face aged slightly? When did that flicker of mischief in her eyes dim to something darker? Her cheeks were thinner, not as puffy as they had been when they were teenagers, and Cole felt pressure building in his throat, because he missed this. He missed his sister grow up, mature into a woman. God, how long had it been? His chest started to rise and fall as the panic once again welled up inside of him, and he felt Veronica's grip on his wrists tighten all the more, as though she could sense his growing unease.

"Camila -" he gasped out, but was quickly cut off when she hissed at him.

"Why do you make me do this?" she demanded quietly, releasing one of his hands as she straightened up, retrieving something from her pocket. When she brought her hand back around, Cole's tensed at the sight of a pair of handcuffs. "You always do this, you make me hurt you."

He had no idea what that meant, and he didn't want to think about what that meant, not when she forced his still trapped wrist up, the cuff coming to cinch around his wrist. But before she could properly restrain him, another surge of adrenaline rocked into him. Cole grabbed the back of Veronica's head and forced her down to him, her forehead smacking the concrete ground beside his head. She went limp, her body dead weight across his body, and Cole just laid there, breathing in the scent of her hair, because even if she was a stranger at that moment, she was still his family, still his sister, and the idea of hurting her had a sob ripping through him.

Slowly shifting out from under her, Cole struggled to his knees, the world once again appearing to him in waves, causing his axis to alter whenever he tried to move. Shaking his head, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes, Cole gently rolled Camila - because like this, she looked peaceful, calm, exactly how his sister used to look when he'd wake her up to cover a stakeout when his time was up, not like Veronica with her cold, vacant eyes - over and brushed the hair from her face. There was a cut on her forehead, blood seeping from the gash, and it had Cole reaching up instinctively and touching his own nose, feeling the moisture there. Christ, that was still bleeding, too. It couldn't be a good sign, but then again, when have things been good for him?

Looking around, Cole closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Camila's shoulder, trying to calm the fear and uncertainty from his mind. Lili was gone now, speeding away to get KJ to Fred, so he couldn't get them to turn back around. And who the hell knew how long until Clifford came looking for them. He had to do something now, but he didn't know! The old him would have come up with a million ideas and suggestions, but he wasn't him anymore, was he?

His shoulders shook as another wave of pain wracked through his body, and Cole didn't bother trying to save face and conceal the pained cry that forced its way up his throat and out of his mouth. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. Spasms were shooting through his back and neck, his head was pounding, and his thoughts were a series of jumbled words followed by clear accuracy, preceded by a collection of both. He wanted to lay down and slip into unconsciousness, but he couldn't do that. Time was running out and he had to figure out what the hell to do, because if Veronica woke up, he wouldn't be able to fight her. He was surprised he was able to slam her head into the ground hard enough to render her unconscious.

Cole lifted his head from her shoulder and wiped his eyes. Looking around the warehouse, Cole was once again ready to start panicking - because Christ, there was nothing! The warehouse was empty and there was nothing that could be used to help him in any way - when his eyes caught the glint of the handcuffs that were beside Veronica's hip.

Cole whimpered out when he realised exactly what he was going to have to do. There was no other way, though. He knew that much. If she woke up, she would overwhelm him, she would overpower him, and he would be taken back to Clifford Blossom, and God, he couldn't go back there. His situation was unique and special, because he was completely alone with no friend or enemy around, and it would not last if he didn't taken advantage of it. But the idea of leaving his sister all alone ... "Goddamnit!"

But he couldn't ... he couldn't wait. Gritting his teeth, ignoring the tears that blurred his vision and the way the world shifted on its head, Cole gently wrapped his arms around Veronica and slowly started dragging her body across the floor of the warehouse until he got her to one of the support poles that littered the interior. He hesitated once more. He wanted to make her comfortable, but he didn't know how. There was nothing here to make her comfortable, and he certainly didn't have anything. Swallowing thickly, Cole forced himself to climb to his feet, his gait unsteady as he retrieved the handcuffs from where they were on the floor. He dropped to his knees once he made it back to Veronica's side, the impact enough to have him doubling over, his hands on either side of his head, the pressure an explosion in his temples, enough to have him whimpering in pain.

His hands were shaking so badly, he could barely get the cuff cinched around Veronica's wrist, and the world was shifting and wobbling and altering his vision so much, Cole had to press both of his hands firmly on the ground to keep from throwing up. Only when he heard Veronica's breathing shift slightly did his head snap up, eyes widening when he saw hers flickering open. And then it was a flurry of activity. Veronica wasn't at a disadvantage like he was, so she was immediately moving when he grabbed her wrist, her free hand balling up and slamming into his side, knocking the air from his lungs. He could do nothing but absorb the blow as he forced Veronica's cuffed wrist up, quickly locking it around the support pole.

She swiped at him again, but Cole quickly scrambled backward, the movement so fast, he lost his balance and fell into a sitting position. He moved back until he was out of her reach, and he sat there frozen as she struggled against the metal, her face contorted into a look of pure hatred as she yanked and pulled and twisted at her wrist, trying to get free. She was like a wounded animal that knew her time was coming to an end, and a wounded animal was always at its most dangerous when it felt threatened. Her movements and her anger were becoming more and more palpable with each second that passed, and Cole ran a frantic hand through his hair, slowly climbing back to his knees.

"Stop doing that," he said, voice coming out almost like a whimper. But his stranger-sister didn't appear to have even heard him. When a particularly vicious pull had her tearing skin, blood immediately sliding down her wrist did Cole feel the tears fall down his cheeks. "Cami, stop! Just stop doing that! Please!"

And she did, her vacant gaze latching onto him, enrapturing him. She cocked her head to the side. "This displeases you." She didn't even sound like she was in pain, like she hadn't just torn her wrist open to get free. Christ, what had Clifford done to them?

"I don't want to hurt you. I have to go and I can't have you following me, but I don't want to hurt you." Cole bit down on his bottom lip, his shimmering gaze moving from Veronica's face to her cuffed wrist, the sight of the blood enough to have his stomach protesting the sight. Blood never used to make him queasy, never used to make him want to vomit until his stomach was empty, but a lot had apparently changed in the time they were captured. "Please don't make me hurt you."

He didn't know what he was expecting, but Veronica laughing wasn't it. It was a sound that sent shivers down his spine, which did nothing to help him when combined with the spasms that had his jaw locking to keep from crying out. Cole felt small when Veronica looked at him with false pity in her eyes, the cerulean hue around her big brown eyes the only light in the otherwise darkened warehouse. "Where do you think you're going to go that I won't find you? Do you have any idea how much you mean to our father? What he won't do to take you back? You can run all you want, but it'll never be far enough."

"I'm sorry," Cole sobbed, backing away, and even though she was cuffed to the support pole, he still moved away slowly, like she would suddenly strike out at him when he least expected it. And he wouldn't put it past her, not after what she said, not after that warning. That alone was terrifying enough, his heart racing inside of his chest, his hands shaking at his sides as he clambered to his feet and made his way to the door of the warehouse. The mere thought of leaving her had tears blinding his vision, but he didn't have a choice, and he was really getting sick and tired of having his choices taken away. "I'm so sorry."

"You will be when I find you," she drawled, her voice sending a wave of fear slamming into him, a wave even stronger than the last one. "But not nearly as sorry as you will be when I deliver you to our father myself."

It was with those words that had him turning around and half-stumbling, half-jogging out of the warehouse and into the darkness, each syllable echoing in his head. Maybe she was right. Maybe running was a stupid call, a stupid decision, but he couldn't go back there. Couldn't. Because he remembered the glint in Clifford Blossom's eyes in that alley all that time ago. He remembered the deranged tone in his voice as he spoke about his thorn, stem, and rose. But most importantly, Cole remembered losing himself to that role Clifford so desperately wanted him as, remembered the emptiness, the desire to please his new father.

He remembered turning into that monster - the very same monster he had feared and still feared since he was a child - and he couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't. It would kill him if he had to do it again, so even if running was a foolish, pointless choice ... at least it was his choice. A choice he was making willingly for the first time in so, so long.

The car he'd been driving ran out of gas miles a while ago, and somehow Cole was still moving. A part of him was confused as to why it only had a quarter of gas inside of it. Shouldn't the Blossoms have made sure the car they'd given to their most treasured possessions was completely stocked of what kept the damn thing moving, so they wouldn't have to stop and risk getting captured by the enemy? It was a question that confused the hell out of him for about twenty minutes before the pain became a more prominent fixture at the forefront of his mind.

Honestly, driving had probably been a mistake for a number of reasons. Firstly, he had no way of knowing if the car was being tracked and, if it was, Cole had driven it for a good forty minutes before it conked out on the side of the road. The Blossoms could have realised something was up when they didn't call or report back immediately, and because of that, dispatched people to bring them back or figure out what it was they were doing, driving in the wrong direction entirely. Secondly, sitting down and being lulled by the car gently rocking on the road had completely depleted all of the adrenaline that had been coursing through his veins ever since he knocked KJ out, said goodbye to Lili again , and cuffed and abandoned Camila to a support pole in that warehouse.

Thunder rumbled ominously above his head, a prickly, staticky sensation causing the hairs on his arms and on the back of his neck to stand on end. That wasn't a good sign. And then a shoulder knocked into the back of his, causing him to stumble, only catching himself on the wall before he toppled over onto the sidewalk in the middle of downtown, in an inelegant sprawl of arms and legs. He gasped out as a shooting pain shot through his neck and rippled down along his spine, causing his muscles to cramp and his eyes to water.

"Shit, sorry," a voice called, sounding distracted, and only when Cole blinked back the tears and looked at the guy did he realise what he was holding in his hand.

"Wait, wait, please," Cole said, holding out a hand to stop the guy, but kept himself from touching him. He knew he must look a sight with pale skin streaked with pink lines from blood he had tried to scrub away in vain. "Can I borrow your phone? I need to call someone."

"Yeah, I don't have any money, sorry," the guy replied, already moving away, his pace quickening.

"No, I –" Cole staggered forward a step, but he already knew there was no way he'd be catching up to that guy. His strides were long and his shoulders were hunched, indicating how closed off he was. Not that Cole necessarily blamed him for thinking the worst. He looked like a homeless person, and with the way his skin was coated with sweat, he probably looked like he had a drug addiction, too. Sighing, Cole pressed himself against the wall and whispered to himself the rest of his sentence. "I just want to call my dad."

There was nothing to do but wait. And Cole did. He waited, trying to smile at passersby, even when his head felt like it was cracking open from the inside. It was so fucking hard to appear like he wasn't crazy when he was twitching every few seconds, his right eyelid flickering like he either had something in his eye, or a serious drug addiction.

It probably didn't help that he looked homeless, too. The fight with his sister hadn't exactly improved his appearance. His hair was a tousled mess sticking to his forehead, the white shirt he'd been wearing for God knows how long, glued to his skin. He leaned against a closed shop window, catching his grim reflection in each car that went by. It hurt to be this ... low. With his father and the Serpents, he'd been at the top of Riverdale's underworld, and reigning over every monster, every killer. He was a Serpent child, and so were KJ and Camila. And now? He wasn't sure what he was. With the Blossoms, at least he'd been high up – just like the Serpents. The shirt he was wearing felt far too expensive to be stuck to his perspired flesh. Cole almost felt ... dirty. Pushing himself off the wall he was leaning against, he stared at his reflection, and then it hit him, like a wave of icy water, wind lashing at his cheeks. The breath caught in his throat and he stumbled back, because the boy in the shop window staring back, through drizzling raindrops, wasn't him.

No, the boy that was staring back at him didn't look like much of a boy anymore. He looked ... taller, like he'd grown a few more inches. And the angles of his face appeared sharper, as though time had been both cruel and kind to him. His eyes were bright and deep and glistened when the lights of the lampposts struck them. He felt ... God, he didn't know. Cole knew the boy – young man – in the reflection of the shop window was him , but he didn't know how. Time was a cruel thing, but that would mean ...

Head snapping up, Cole bit back a curse as a wave of dizziness slammed into him. He waited only a moment for the majority of the spinning to pass, and then he was moving. Each step was a stumble, an unsteady gait that didn't help his case in the slightest, but he couldn't help himself. His heart was pounding in his chest and he knew – he knew – but he needed to be sure, needed to see for himself what he knew deep down to be true. When he finally found the newspaper stand, Cole dropped down to his knees, gasping at the impact before pressing his hand to the glass doors. There, staring back at him was a date that had his jaw dropping in shock and horror. The month felt right – it was cool at night, but not overly so. There was a cold weight to the night, but there was also a heaviness that held the hints of warmer weather, so April felt right. But what had Cole sitting back on his haunches, his eyes glistening with tears he didn't even bother to stifle, was the year.

2020.

But it ... that couldn't be right. Could it? He remembered a cold night standing beside a swimming pool, the dim light of the moon causing Lili's hair to glow evanescently. He could remember the frigid bite of rain from the darkness of the alley as he, KJ, and Camila all tried to vie for warmth under a pathetic excuse of an old cardboard refrigerator box before ... before ...

"Fuck." Cole whispered to himself, a shaky hand coming up to cover his mouth, unable to tear away his gaze from the magazine behind the glass. Clifford Blossom had stolen three more years of his life. And now ... now he was no longer a sixteen-year-old boy. He was nineteen. Nineteen and it felt like only a moment had passed him by.

He caught in his peripheral vision a flicker of darkness, and Cole tore his gaze away and looked down at his arm, at the swirls of blackness that were visible beneath the white of his shirt. Bile rose in his throat, but he swallowed thickly. He knew what they were without looking, and the very thought of pulling up that sleeve to confirm had anxiety twisting knots into his stomach. He could also recall utter fascination on Clifford Blossom's face that night three years ago in that alley, his hand wrapped painfully around his wrist, holding his arm aloft, greedy eyes taking in the expanse of his mark, of the map of roses that adorned his pale skin. It was terrifying to know just how long he'd been Clifford's possession, no longer in control of his own body and mind, no longer able to think and feel for himself, forced to –

Scrambling to his feet, Cole stumbled away from the magazine stand, spasms of pain shooting up through his neck into his head, causing a spiking sensation to blur his vision. God, he needed to go, needed to get help, needed his dad .

Shaking his head, as though trying to dispel the thoughts from his mind, Cole took a ragged breath and looked around. A rustle of wind picked up behind him, causing a shiver to break out across his skin. The storm seemed to be getting closer, the lightning flashing in the sky, bringing about rumbles of thunder in closer increments. It didn't seem to be bothering the people walking up and down the streets, walking past him as though he didn't even exist, their own lives going on, even though it felt like his was being stripped from him bit by bit. The sob was building up inside of his chest, causing his lungs to constrict and his throat to close up, but Cole forced it down, slowly looking for some semblance of shelter. He needed to sit down, he needed to rest, he needed to find a way to stop quivering, because every single time the wind whipped by, he felt his body seizing, and whether it was due to fright or an old instinct he had never really shaken off, he didn't know. Didn't care. Not in that moment.

It took a good half mile before the classy part of town slowly tapered off to a grungier side where there weren't as many lampposts and the people walking around had hunched shoulders with hoods pulled over their heads. Trash littered the sidewalks and there were people sitting against buildings that had long since been closed down, pieces of glass missing, almost like bricks or rocks had been thrown through. Cole almost felt like he belonged with how dishevelled he appeared, sweat beading along his skin, easily blending into the rain that washed over him.

By this time, he was completely soaked, the shirt he was wearing practically a second skin, the rose tattoos visible. When people got too close, Cole felt like shying away when they stared, their looks ranging from appreciative to confused. Some looked interested, others snorted and turned away. Some strangers didn't even look at him at all, despite the fact that his shoulder was knocked into at least three times before he got to the mouth of the alley. It was purely on accident that he even found it, a particularly hard jolt sending a rack of pain to send him almost to his knees.

The only source of light he had was from the flashes of lightning from the sky, and only then, it was for brief moments before he was shrouded in darkness once more, and the last time he'd been in an alley, he'd lost three more years of his life, but for some reason, Cole found himself slowly moving deeper inside, a hand slowly trailing along the cold bricks of the building to his right.

Maybe it was the prospect of finally coming to a rest after a rigorous, adrenaline-fuelled couple of hours, maybe it was coming out of the control of the chip and being slammed with an onslaught of pain, but the second Cole found a far enough place from the mouth of the alley, a place that was hidden behind a dumpster and a pile of cardboard boxes, Cole's legs decided then to give out on him, sending him in a heap against the wall. With his back pressed against the brick, Cole shuddered out a breath, no longer trying to stifle the emotions that were causing his chest to ache.

Three years. Three years , gone. Just like that. In the blink of an eye. It was like waking up from a nap, only to discover time had gone on without him, leaving him with no recollection of what happened. Even though Cole did know what happened. Clifford Blossom did. He'd taken them – KJ, Camila, and Cole – like he had a right to, like they weren't people, but possessions, like trinkets.

He'd whisked them away, kicking and screaming, and altered them, another fucking level of brainwashing that had his head spinning if he thought too much about it. The only good thing about any of this was KJ was out. That fact alone had Cole letting out another strangled sob, one of relief, as well as pain, because at least his big brother was safe with Lili and Casey, was away from Clifford Blossom, away from harm. If only the same could be said for Camila.

Lifting a hand and running it shakily through his soaked hair, Cole pressed his fingers into his temples, squeezing his eyes shut against the pulsing pain that had his ears ringing.

Christ, he had no idea how he was able to overpower her, how he'd been able to cuff her to the support pole. The mere idea of getting up seemed like a feat that was practically impossible. It certainly wasn't a good thing with the way his muscles were relaxing and then spasming up, his heart fluttering like a butterfly's, but he was sitting now, not moving, and that was fine for now.

He'd come up with something to do in the morning, when he had time to rest and gather his bearings. He'd clean himself up, find something to eat, and see about getting into contact with his father. The longer he was away from Clifford Blossom, the more incessant the man would become – that Cole knew. He needed to call FP as soon as he had the chance, but for now, he'd rest.

Voices suddenly flooded his ears, causing Cole to pressed his knees up against, his heart lodged in his throat. He couldn't hear their words, but their voices were getting closer. A dog barked in the distance and the thunder rumbled angrily overhead, and only then did Cole realize exactly how alone he truly was. He was in a dark alley, completely soaked. There was no KJ, no Camila, and he squeezed his eyes shut when the realisation slammed into him, causing his shoulders to shake. For almost a decade, he'd never been away from his siblings, and now ... now he'd never felt more alone, more afraid.

Wrapping his arms around himself, Cole clenched his jaw and waited for the sounds of voices to drift away, the dog's dark eventually fading away, as well. He didn't relax, though, not when the thunder clapped overhead and the rain continued falling in torrents. Not when the wind whistled through the narrow alley, causing goosebumps to raise along his exposed arms.

Cole took a moment to breathe, to look at himself. No matter how many times he swiped at his nose, it still bled in vivid crimson down his chin.

He was haemorrhaging. The thing inside him was trying to take control, and because his brain was stubborn and refused to back down, the bastard was trying to shut him down for good.

But then came the sound of engines, and the sound alone had him diving to his feet, expression frenzied, his hands already pawing for a weapon. But he only had his fists, only the training he'd received from The Blossoms, turning him into a monstrous soldier.

But... if these new abilities could save him, then so be it. Cole stood his ground and lifted his head, glaring at the approaching vehicle. Expensive mental. Smooth exterior. Definitely a Blossom ride. His fists clenched by his sides and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His head was pounding, but FP Jones had always told him that pain motivated his hits, flooding him with adrenaline. The headlights blinded him, and he reached up to shade his eyes, blinking in the intense allure.

The car was coming towards him, he had no doubt about it. Run. Every instinct was telling him to turn and run for his life. But he couldn't move. His feet were glued to the ground.

The car got closer, and Cole started to back away, shaking his head, because no, he refused to be taken again!

Until a voice sounded out, shattering his thoughts. "Oi, Jones!"

The car window rolled down, an all too familiar head popping out; intense green eyes and permanent scowl.

"What are you waiting for? Get in."

Cole nearly collapsed, relief flooding through him. "Casey." He managed to choke out, and the boy nodded, a smile curling on his lips. "You look like shit."

He almost laughed, tears were already trickling down his cheeks. "KJ?"

The boy shrugged. "Knocked out in the back. But he's fine, Jones." There was something about Casey's expression, the way his eyes wrinkled, his bottom lip shuddering, that made him wonder if his feelings were much stronger for his brother than he'd initially thought.

Cole nodded, the words thank you were swelling in his throat, but then the sound of car doors slamming was reverberating in his ears, and a choked cry set his heart on fire. Before he could move, a blur of blonde was flying at him, warm arms wrapping around his neck. And he was choking on the smell of her, the feel of her. When she grabbed his face, cradling it, and captured his lips in a desperate kiss, he lost himself. There was only her sobs.

Her warm breath tickling his neck, lips pressing kisses over abused skin.

"Lili."

"Don't." She gasped out, before pulling away. "Don't ever fucking do that again." Lili let out a sharp gasp which collapsed into a sob. She pulled away, and he was staring at her in the glow of the car's headlights; a halo of golden hair framing intense blue eyes.

And he could only nod, clutching her tighter. Even when the pain got worse, the chip threatening to take back his mind at any second, he held the girl closer. "Okay." He whispered, and she hummed in response. "I found you," Lili hissed out. "I found you, Cole, and I'm not letting you go again. Do you understand me? It's been three years. Three years of nothing, and now you're here. You're fucking here, and I'm taking you back to your dad, okay?"

Okay. The word was so painful, but he didn't say it. He shook his head with a spluttered sob, pulling her closer. He wanted to talk about Camila, about the sister he was sure he'd lost forever.

But he was too tired. There was too much pain. Instead, he fell into her, letting go of every explosive thought.

"You're both adorable. Trust me, if I didn't have your messed up brother jacked out in the back of my car, I'd give you a round of applause," Casey yelled. "But we like, really need to go, before either of you go Terminator on our asses."

* * *

_The blade slid easily along flesh, bringing about a small trail of blood that trickled along a bound wrist, dripping soundlessly onto the polished floor. Jughead Blossom made no expression, his bright blue eyes blank as he moved on, making thin slices along skin. Behind him, his brother and sister stood, waiting._

_"I just need a name," he said, bringing the knife to meet the young man's face, the teeth dangerously close to the Serpent tail coiled around his right eye. Jughead wasn't one to express disgust, but seeing the boy's marking made him scowl, his lips curling into an almost predatory snarl. "Better yet, a location. Where are your other vermin allies?"_

_"Dead," the man said, without flinching. His dark eyes narrowed into slits, focused completely on the boy looming over him, swinging his knife rather carelessly in his hand, where the start of a rose stem twined across his hand, entwining between each finger. When seeing the boy's latest tattoo, the boy scowled in disgust. "You killed them, Cole. You killed your own fucking family." He cocked his head, baring his teeth. "How do you feel about that, huh?" He tried to shuffle forwards. "What happened to you? Where's FP? And since when did you side with a fucking Blossom?"_

_Jughead seemed to mimic the young Serpent's actions. He cocked his head, dark curls falling in front of blazing blue eyes. Until then his eyes had been half lidded, almost as if he was bored. Though at the mention of the Serpent's name, they lit up, two pools of striking blue._

_"FP Jones," he said flatly. "Do you know where he is?"_

_The Serpent blinked rapidly. "As if I'd tell you!" He seemingly caught himself, before sucking in a deep breath. "Cole, whatever trouble you're in, I can help you, okay? Dude, it's Joaquin. We've known each other since we were kids! You can't just...you can't just fucking switch sides!"_

_"I'm bored," Veronica hummed. Joaquin's gaze slid to her. "Hiram Lodge's daughter," he said softly, dark green eyes widening. "A Serpent princess turned Blossom bitch. What the fuck, Mila?"_

_Before she could say anything — not that she opened her mouth to speak further — Jughead's hand snaked out and gripped Joaquin's chin, drawing the boy's attention back to him. Without preamble, Jughead took the knife and forced it through his lips, uncaring if the blade's teeth cut and sliced through skin, lip, and gum. He pressed the tip against the centre of his tongue._

_"If you can't give me a location as to where they're at, you are then of no use to me." Jughead cocked his head to the side. "I can show you just how good with blades I really am. And if that doesn't impress you, I can show you what my brother can do. He is Clifford Blossom's thorn, after all."_

_Joaquin's eyes filled with tears. His lips split open, blood trickling down his chin. He gritted his teeth, spitting out blood. "Yeah, I know KJ," he growled. The boy was a Serpent, and Serpents never gave into their pain. They never showed weakness. "His thorn?" he repeated, hissing out a breath. He leaned forward, wincing slightly. His bound wrists were bleeding profusely, but he kept them pressed against his t-shirt, staunching it as best as he could, without proper resources. Cole hadn't severed an artery - yet. Joaquin knew this was the same boy who had played with him as a kid, taught him how to wield a weapon. But there was something dark in Cole's eyes. His expression was blank, no glimmer, not even the one of mischief that he'd gotten to know well. No. Cole Jones's eyes were like staring into the void._

_There was nothing there. And that terrified him._

_"Have you three gone completely fucking crazy?!" he demanded. "Is this why your folks haven't mentioned you in a while? Why FP Jones, the literal monster of Riverdale's underworld, hasn't left his house in months?" Joaquin eyed them warily, his eyes sweeping over Clifford's latest markings that adorned their skin. "A little birdy told me Camila killed her own father," he said, frowning at the raven-head, who didn't even blink. "You've turned on your parents and joined a family of crazies, for what, huh?" Joaquin choked out a laugh."I knew you three were fucking crazy, but this?" He shuffled back on his knees, glaring at them._

_"This just takes the fucking cake."_

_Jughead looked...entertained. Like Joaquin's words had been a joke he was slowly starting to understand, as a slow smile began to stretch across his lips. "You're funny," he said, and meant it. The boy turned to his brother and sister, eyes ignited. "Isn't he funny?" Shaking his head, Jughead stood to his feet and moved toward the redhead, his brother. "He's all yours, Archie."_

_Stepping forward, Archie motioned for the knife in Jughead's hands, his fingers wrapping around the golden handle, rose gold adorned with a cursive B on the hilt. Brushing past Jughead, the boy stepping back, falling back to stand with Veronica, Archie stepped forward, the thorn tattoos around his wrists vibrant and shrouded in shadows._

_"Last chance," he said, lifting the blade. He cocked a brow, brown eyes dark and disinterested. "Give me a location. Or I open you up, Serpent."_

_Joaquin shook his head. "Like I'm scared of you, Andrews. You're all bark and no bite." His eyes, however, were stuck to the blade. "I swore an oath," he said softly, all the rebellion in his expression seeping away, making way for hurt. "I swore to you and your family that I'd never betray a Serpent." Joaquin started to choke up, excess blood dribbling down his chin. "So you're just going to have to fuckin' kill me, aint ya, brother?"_

_"Kill him." The command came quick, a crackle of static bouncing around Archie's skull. At the sound of the man's voice, his father, his king, his eyes dilated. His grip on the hilt tightened._

_"Yes, father."_

_Joaquin's expression crumpled with confusion. "Who the fuck are you talkin' to, Andrews?"_

_Archie cocked his head to the side, dark browns sparking. He took a few steps, his footfalls echoing in the otherwise silent room. Though it was more of a dank basement than anything else, resembling something more of a dungeon than a simple room. Archie was well-accustomed to this place, knowledgeable in where the weapons were kept and when he was allowed to touch them. Knew when to give control back to his brother, Jughead, or allow Veronica time to negotiate should it be necessary. He didn't even really need to hear his father's voice to know they weren't going to get anything out of this Serpent. Some were weak and easily ... pliable. Others required more work. And sometimes, even when they were properly handled, bleeding and broken and contorted, they still wouldn't talk._

_Joaquin was one of the few that weren't going to talk, to give up secrets of a group of criminals that were dwindling in numbers._

_"That's a shame," Archie said, not that he truly meant it. Joaquin was a Serpent, a scaly creature that slithered in the dirty. He was beneath him. So, knowledgeable what he had to do, Archie pressed the knife against Joaquin's throat and, after the boy swallowed thickly, tear-filled eyes alight with understanding, he jerked his wrist to the left, watching a thin ribbon of red immediately seep from the cut, the artery sliced open._

_There was no expression on Archie's face when Joaquin flopped forwards, before crashing to the floor, gurgling breaths becoming thinner and thinner. Instead, he simply stared at the Serpent lying in a pool of stemming scarlet, and began to smile. Archie stood proud, his arms fell to his sides, the knife dropping to the floor. Behind him, maybe he was imagining it slightly, maybe the slither of excitement he was allowed to feel after a kill was what brought such a hallucination on. But he could have sworn his brother flinched. A blink and you'll miss it moment._

_"Did I do good, father?"_

_And as always, his father's voice came quickly, buzzing static crawling into his brain. "Of course you did, Archie."_

* * *

_Of course you did, Archie..._

After being trapped inside his mind for so long, KJ felt a sense of relief flood him before he even properly slid back into consciousness. It was like coming up for air, breaking the surface and sucking in oxygen, after spending so long trapped under the waves, crushed beyond sea level. The first thing he could smell was the faint aroma of something strong. It tickled the back of his nose and throat. It was musky, with hints of dark chocolate and some wildflower he hadn't heard of. There was something familiar about the smell. It delved into his memories head first, long bony fingers reaching, reaching, until they finally grasped a time from so long ago. Back when his mind wasn't the property of a mad man, his thoughts moulded and shaped into submission. But he wasn't ready to slip back into reality, just yet.

He had to see the damage he'd caused. What he'd done, while under Clifford Blossom's spell.

It came to her in the slightest of sounds, a sniffle, a little grunt in his sleep, indicating KJ was slowly beginning to awaken. Lili leaned forward in her seat, ignoring the ache in her back, her neck, from sitting so sternly for so long, waiting for this very moment.

Lili watched as his eyes flickered beneath his closed lids, watched his face scrunch in discomfort. She swallowed thickly as she wondered what he was dreaming about, if his mind was conjuring up nightmares and terrors in his unconsciousness. She hoped not; the waking world wouldn't be as kind to him either. There was something adorable about how her brother was sleeping, curled into himself, legs tucked under his chest, his crimson hair an explosion of red across the pillow propping his head up. It was hard to believe that he was twenty years old.

Three years had been stolen from him, and within those three years, KJ Andrews had somehow retained youthful features. If she really wanted to, Lili could pretend that he was still that seventeen-year-old troublemaker who had become her beloved brother.

His head jerked slightly to the side, brows scrunched in discomfort or discontent, Lili couldn't tell. She saw his hand clench, as though he were holding something in his dreams, and she reached forward, thin fingers slipping through his. His skin was paler than she remembered, a shade or two lighter, a hard reminder that he hadn't been treated well in the hands of the Blossom family. Lili swallowed thickly and forced the thoughts from her mind.

And suddenly, the idea of KJ's discomfort in his dreams was too much for Lili. Now more than ever, she wanted to talk to him, hear his voice. KJ's voice, Not Archie Blossom's. She got up from the chair she was sitting in and chose instead to sit on the side of the bed, the deep cushions dipping under her weight. Lifting her hand, Lili brushed her fingers along the side of his face, pushing away crimson hair from his eyes.

"KJ?" she said, voice soft. "Wake up."

He groaned at the sound of her voice, lip curling slightly. And Lili had the terrifying thought that she hadn't saved him. That she'd failed to pull Clifford Blossom out of his head, despite seeing it herself. Just hours ago she had watched Hermione Gomez slice open the back of his neck with a scalpel, reaching in with gentle fingers, and coaxing out a piece of metal the size of her fingernail. It sickened Lili that something as small and seemingly insignificant, could cause so much damage. So much pain and hurt. But the boy was okay now, right? Hermione had sewn him back up and left him to rest, her and Fred engaging in conversation that Lili would rather not listen to. She'd only managed to overhear part of it, and before her curiosity got the better of her, Lili had ran upstairs to her room and pressed a pillow over her face to muffle the screams that tore from her throat.

"This isn't a good idea, Fred. We don't know what this technology is. For all we know, there's long lasting effects that are irreversible."

"I'm taking that chance, Hermione. He's my son."

"Fred...you don't know that. Look, I know it's hard to come to terms with, but Clifford Blossom has had him for three years. From my initial observation, he's already been...altered in different ways. There's a bruise on his left arm, a clear spot where he's been injected multiple times. His skin wouldn't even break when I tried to administer anaesthetic. For all we know, there's something else. Another chip. Are you willing to take a chance on a boy who's been turned into a killing machine?"

Lili didn't stay long enough to hear her father's answer.

That had been two hours ago, and he was yet to open his eyes. She had been under strict instructions not to visit either Serpent boy during their recovery. Cole was impossible to get to. After multiple tries to sneak in, Lili had given up, slipping into her brother's room instead.

Being with KJ was a distraction. Because now that Lili had seen what had been embedded inside of his brain, what was in Cole and Camila's — it took every bit of energy to not storm into his room, where Hermione Lodge was busy extracting the chip, freeing his mind.

Cole's expression was still stuck to her memory, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it. His wide, fearful eyes glistening with tears, sickly cheeks, and blood streaming down his face, feverish blue eyes frenzied. He was home. And his expression before he lost consciousness, still draped over her knee in Casey's car, still haunted her.

Cole Jones just wanted his father back. He was a victim of the chip, slipping in and out of its control, falling in and out of oblivion. But for one shining moment, he had come back to her, before falling into the dark. And no matter how much he had changed, he was still the same. He was still that Serpent boy who turned her life upside down.

His last wish, before he'd been crushed against the ground by his own sister, was that she and Casey helped his brother, and saved his sister. And she was going to do it, no matter what.

"Please wake up," she said quietly, her light green eyes filling with tears. Now that he was so close to waking up, the thought of waiting for him to open his eyes naturally was almost unbearable. "KJ, please. I need you to wake up."

Without thinking about what she was doing, Lili put her hands on KJ's shoulders and gave him a gentle shake, her heart jackhammering in her chest. She wanted ... she wanted to talk to him, wanted to hear what he'd been through, what Clifford Blossom had done to them. And she was ashamed to admit that she wanted to know about Cole, wanted to see him through KJ's eyes during the time they were ripped away from her.

"Wake up!"

Lili was surprised at her tone, at how demanding it was. Betty Cooper had never been like that, but the Serpents had turned her into something else entirely, a stranger to her older self. A fighter. And if it took her breaking the sound barrier to wake her brainwashed brother up, she would do it a thousand times over. When the boys eyelashes fluttered slightly, she lunged towards him, bile burning the back of her throat. It was hard to tell if he was still under Clifford's control. Her heart said he wasn't. Especially when KJ let out a soft moan, his body trembling, lips twitching as he slowly began to awaken. Lili couldn't seem to keep in her excitement, her anticipation.

"KJ?" She said his name like it was liquid gold at the back of her throat. Like it was so precious to her, a name that felt so good to slide off her tongue so effortlessly after so long. He didn't respond, at least with his mouth. But he did groan again. This time it sounded pained, like he was uncomfortable, like he was remembering. Lili sucked in a breath. "KJ," she said again, more warily. She couldn't stop herself from reaching forwards and brushing the knuckles of her fingers against his icy cheeks. This time he scowled in his waking slumber, turning his head, his face twitching, his hands hich were at his sides, curling into fists. She realized her mistake too late, her heart hammering in her chest.

And that's when his eyes flew open. Really, she should have been happy. But the look of sudden vigilance as opposed to sleepiness in mocha eyes blown wide, almost dilated, was what made her retract her hand with a quiet gasp. But it was too late - far, far too late. The damage had already been done, the panic warring with a mind that was too slow, too lethargic to catch up.

KJ was faster than she gave him credit for, so fast that she had absolutely no time to react, to counter and block or move out of the way, because his fist was moving with a speed she couldn't track. One second his eyes were closed, his mind slowly bringing him from the land of unconsciousness, and the next, he was awake and aware, and the intensity of his gaze was enough to make Lili gape in surprise, because the reality of what she thought would happen was nothing like this. And then there was the pain, something quick and sharp, but it was enough to have her lurching back, her spine connecting with the hard plastic of the chair, eliciting a gasping inhalation, a slender hand coming up to cup her face.

There wasn't a lot of blood, a thin ribbon beading down her chin, but it the tingling, searing sensation was enough for Lili to know that her lip had been split, the zinger of the punch causing her teeth to slice into her bottom lip, cutting it straight open.

He'd punched her.

And in the moment of shock, in the moment it took her to quickly evaluate her injuries, that was all the time that KJ needed to launch himself from the bed he was lying prone on, his limbs uncoordinated and clumsy and awkward. He didn't go far, the weight of his body after being unconscious for so long quickly taking its toll. Slumping down the wall on the opposite side of the bed, Lili watched in surprise, in heartbreak, as her brother curled his knees up to his chest, his breaths coming out in panting gasps, entire body trembling with adrenaline so quickly fading, with fear of being forced awake, and confusion at being at an unknown location. It was strange looking at him now, stranger knowing this was the boy she had once viewed as a sort of god. So untouchable, so much more than anyone else she'd ever known. To see him now - his greasy red hair, his dilated eyes, the shake to his limbs, the way his chest was rising and falling in quick succession - it had Lili realising that that facade had probably been the first to go when he was taken by Clifford Blossom. It made her fists clench in anger.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, so quietly that she wasn't sure KJ was aware that she'd spoken. His mocha coloured eyes were pivoting around the room, taking in all the details of the room - his room - Fred had put him in. She was curious how different and strange it looked now, if he saw himself in the posters that hung on the walls and of the various weapons that littered the surfaces that Fred insisted remained to show KJ they weren't afraid of him, that they weren't trying to control him. If he saw himself in the few photographs he had taped to the bathroom mirror of Camila and Cole, or in the trinkets he had on his dresser and night-tables. Lili wondered if any of those things held a purpose they once had four years ago.

She should call Fred. That was the right thing to do. Afterall, her father had been at his side all day, and left to see how Cole was getting on. The man's name was at the back of her throat, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Maybe it was the subconscious fear of her brother lashing out at Fred too. He was upstairs, trying to save Cole Jone's mind. If she told him her son wasn't quite himself, the man would crumble.

Maybe ... maybe it was selfishness, wanting to be the one to bring KJ back on her own, to not have to include anyone else. She'd earned her keep, showed Fred and FP that she was every bit as formidable and strong as any other Serpent kid. So maybe it wasn't selfishness as it was pride. Lili didn't know. All she did know was KJ needed her. His eyes were wide as he pivoted around the room, confusion and uncertainty and obvious fear and discomfort clear in mocha coloured eyes. He needed guidance, he needed reassurance. She could provide that, at least.

"KJ?" she called hesitantly, her voice low enough, but high enough to penetrate the silence in the room. Still, he did not react outwardly. If anything, his gaze dropped, locked on something she didn't see at first. But no, she knew what he was staring at. Lili knew without even looking down to confirm to know what he was staring at, what had his heart pounding in his chest, rising and falling with quick succession. "Or do you go by Archie now?"

The boy seemed to jerk at the sound of that name. His brown eyes flickered, lips curling. For a moment, Lili thought he was going to lunge at her again. But instead her brother dropped to his knees, drawing his legs to his chest. He looked so fragile, as if simply touching him would make him shatter. When Lili knew it was quite the opposite. Hermione Lodge had confirmed her worst suspicions. He was dangerous. Whatever Clifford had done to him, the bastard had enhanced his skills and strength, turning him into some kind of super soldier. The woman had warned Lili to stay away. But Lili knew she could bring him back. The boy she'd once known. It was just going to take...time. Dabbing at her nose gingerly, Lili tried not to wince. Maybe she'd hold off training with him for a while.

Her attention went back to KJ, when he let out a sharp gasp for breath. He was staring at his arms wrapped around his knees, gazing at his wrists, where of course the thorn tattoos were. They looked so much more prominent now that he was awake, trails of black and red ink wrapped around his wrists. The tattoo looked grotesque; bloody thorns digging into his skin. She remembered the first time she'd seen it, in the club with Casey.

It signified enrapture. And with the marking, there had been his empty eyes, the murderous smile on lips that no longer cared, that weren't allowed to care. He and his siblings were prisoners, and KJ specifically was Clifford Blossom's soldier. Lili sucked in a breath. She wouldn't cry. Her eyes filled with tears, but she swiped them.

Serpents don't cry. She thought, biting down hard on her lip. But she'd seen her father cry for hours over the loss of his son. She'd watched FP trash the upstairs kitchen during the three years she spent looking for The Serpent kids. It was obvious now. The Serpents had fallen, and so had their rules. Which meant she could cry all she wanted. She could breakdown, she could scream and screech until her throat was burning. Lili no longer had to hold herself back.

So, she allowed herself to break, very slowly, as he watched the realisation begin to flicker on KJ's face.

At first it was pure disgust which twisted his expression, before the pain and panic settled in. He leaned forward, lips parting slightly. Maybe it was the absence of his Serpent tattoo, the verdant print that had emblazoned his left wrist since he was a child, that was the most upsetting. Lili couldn't tell. Finally, he spoke. His voice was hoarse whimper which twisted her gut. "What's this?"

Lili tried to smile, but she was pretty sure she was grimacing. What if he'd forgotten who she was? As much as she wanted to go to him, to comfort her brother, Lili stayed back against the wall. "Don't worry about that." She choked out. "Just focus on me, okay?"

His head spasmed almost unnaturally, when he turned to face her and Lili's chest ached, Hermione's words seeping back into her mind; "He's been altered, Fred. We don't know what he's capable of." That was becoming painfully true, but Lili wouldn't give up. Not after everything they'd been through. It was only a few hours ago he had her pinned to the ground, a madman whispering orders into his brain.

"Elizabeth Cooper," the boy had spat in her face. "A traitor to my father, and my family, as well as her own blood."

Before Cole had knocked it out of him. Saved him and sacrificed himself. Before he collapsed in the back of Casey's car. Lili let out a shaky breath. The image of him bleeding out, curled up in a frantic FP's arms was still burned into her mind. She promised herself she wouldn't think about Cole, not right now. Not when KJ needed her more than ever.

Besides, it's not like she could just walk into Cole's room. FP would invicorate her.

Still, Lili's heart ached for her sister.

Were years going to pass before she saw Cami again? More lengthy time apart?

She couldn't do it. No. As soon as KJ was himself, the Serpent boy's 100% once more, they'd save Camila regardless of what the adults said.

"Lils?" the redhead frowned at her, blinking rapidly. "Did I miss something? What happened?"

"Oh we missed something, alright!" a voice sounded from behind her. Lili's heart flipped in her chest, and she twisted around to see Cole. He was bent over slightly, expression creased with pain. The boy was practically clinging onto the doorway to keep himself upright.

"Three years." Cole gasped out, his voice a pained hiss. "Three fucking years, KJ!"

"Cole." Lili managed to say. But she didn't move. He was already moving across the room, dark eyes narrowed. The boy shook his head. He turned to her, teeth gritted.

"Don't tell me to calm down. Don't tell me to go back to my room and rest." he stroked the back of his neck, wincing. "The chip is gone, and I'm fine." before she could speak, he was taking her hands and squeezing them and pulling her to him. He was breathing heavily, eyes burning with determination.

"But you need to understand that nothing is going to stop me from getting Camila back."

Lili cocked her head. "The parents?"

Cole smirked slightly. "Locked in my room, until further notice." His eyes sparkled with that Serpent mischief she missed. But there was something else. Not a circle of cerulean light.

Power.

Power that had been given to him when he was a Blossom soldier, and now he was going to use it against the very bastard that created him. "Are you in, Lils?"

* * *

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